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THE  LIBRARY 

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PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


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THE  AMERICAN  FARMER'S 

HORSE  BOOK; 

Embracing,  in  addition  to  the  subjects  usually  treated  of  in 
similar  works ;  A  Full  Description  of  the  Causes  and 
Nature  of  Several  Diseases  Peculiar  to  tne  Ameri- 
can Horse;  together  with  Original,  Simple  and 
Effective  Modes  of  Treatment,  Including 
those  of  some  Diseases  heretofore  considered  incurable; 
and  also.  An  Extended  Treatise  on  Stock  Raising  and 
Stock  Management.     The  whole  Especially 
Adapjfed  to  the  Use  of  the  Farmer. 


By  ROBERT  STEWART,  M.  D.,  V.  S. 

embodying 
The  Results  of  Twenty  Years  Original  investigation 
^  and  Veterinary  Practice. 


RICHMOND,  ATLANTA,  AND  NEW  ORLEANS: 
*        National  PuBLisriiNG  Company. 


J 


1867. 


'■■■* ' 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1866,  by 

C.   F.   VENT   &   CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 


District  of  Ohio. 


6TXBK0TTPED  AT  THB 

rSANKLIN    TYPE    FOUNPST, 

CINCIKHATI. 


i 


V-SF4:5-/ 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 


As  this  work  goes  to  press,  the  author  is  confined  to  his 
bed  with  a  painful  and  protracted  sickness,  rendering  him 
unable  to  write  a  preface.  Were  he  able  to  do  so,  however, 
he  would  not  be  called  upon  to  make  an  apology  for  the 
issue  of  such  a  work.  It  needs  no  apology.  It  meets  our 
most  sanguine  expectations,  and  we  feel  sure  it  will  receive 
the  warm  approbation  and  cordial  support  of  those  interested 
in  the  horse  and  mule. 

The  work  had  a  natural  origin,  and  a  slow,  healthy  growth 
and  development,  arriving  at  full  maturity  before  being  sent 
forth  to  the  world.  The  author  commenced  the  study  of  the 
subject  some  twenty  years  ago,  for  the  purpose  of  discover- 
ing rational  modes  of  treatment  for  Fistula  and  Big  Head, 
which  were  making  fearful  ravages  among  his  own  stock, 
the  only  modes  of  treatment  known  being  the  barbarous  and, 
to  a  great  extent,  ineffectual  ones,  still  in  general  practice  in 
many  localities  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  At  the 
time,  he  had  no  idea  of  pursuing  the  subject  further,  but  the 
complete  success  that  crowned  his  efforts  in  the  treatment 
of  his  own  stock  and  that  of  his  neighbors,  who  pressed  him 
into  the  service,  created  a  thirst  for  a  general  and  minute 
knowledge  of  all  the  diseases  the  horse  is  heir  to,  and  led 
him  to  abandon  all  other  pursuits,  and  give  himself  up  to 
study  and  original  investigation,  which  led  to  a  very  wide 
and  highly  successful  veterinary  practice,  completely  demol- 
ishing many  old  theories,  and  superseding  the  harsh,  cruel, 
and  inhuman  modes  of  treatment  generally  practiced,  by 
those  more  effectual,  cheaper,  simpler,  and  in  every  way 

(iii) 


^SSiS^l 


IV  ^N^  PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 

better.  His  practice  was  chiefly  in  ,tlie  great  stock-raising 
regions  of  Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  but  extended  all  the 
way  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Kio  Grande. 

This  book  is  the  result,  apd  we  put  it  forth  in  the  full 
confidence  that  it  will  more  fi^lly  meet  the  wants  of  American 
horse-owners  and  managers  than  any  other,  or  all  other, 
works  extant.  It  is  distinctively  American,  treating  more 
fully  and  explicitly  of  the  diseases  peculiar  to  the  American 
horse — more  especially  those  peculiar ^  to  the  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi — than  any  other  work  hitherto  published.  It  is 
written  in  plain,  simple  language,  that  any  one  can  under- 
stand with  the  aid  of  the  Glossary  of  Technical  and  Scien- 
tific Terms,  and  will  be  found  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  use 
of  the  farmer.  We  send  it  forth  on  its  rmrits,  and  have  no 
fears  but  what  it  will  stand  there. 

Those  who  may  use  it  will  confer  a  favor  by  communi- 
cating to  us,  by  letter,  the  results  of  their  experience.  We 
shall  thereby  be  enabled  to  detect  and  correct  any  errors 
that  may  have  crept  in,  or  that  may  occur  on  the  part  of 
those  using  the  book. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 

CiirciKNATi,  January  1,  1867. 

f 

i    ' 


/ 


./ 


r 


/ 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


'  CHAPTER  I. 

BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  HORSE.— General  Principles  kept  in 
viFW  IN  THIS  Work — Kbmarks  on  Crossing,  etc.-— iM^ORtANT  Facts  to 

BB    REMEMBBRBD    IN    T^ATING   DISEASES   OP   THE    llollSa....< 11 

CHAPTER  II. 

OUTLINE  OF  TH^  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSt:.— Muscles,  Ten- 
dons, AND  Membb:anes — The  Skin — The  HAift-^Tnii  Feet-  The  Blood- 
vessels— The  H^art — The  Pores — The  Brai*  ai^d  Nervous  System — 
Respiratory  Organs — The  Stomach  and  IiIte^tinal  '  Organs  —  The 
Liver — The  Pancreas — The  Spleen — The  X7 Binary  Organs 23 

/  CHAPTER  III. 

DISEASES  OF^THE  BONES.— Big  Head  and  Big  Jaw,  or  Exostosis  op 
THE  Bones — S>nNNY,  or  Inflammation  ot  t4e  Shoulder — Big  Shoul- 
der— Inflammation  or  Swinny  of  the  IIiJ»— Slipped  or  Broken  Hip — 
Bone  Spavin — Illustrative  Cases  —  CAUtioNS  —  Enlarged  Hock  — 
Broken  Hook — Ring-bone — Stifle — Si^LiNt  —  Broken  Knees  —  Stum- 
bling  SWAY-BAC^ » 69 

CHAPTElt  IV. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.— Ulceration  op  the  Foot,  or  Navicular 
Disease — Cracked  Hoofs — Hoof-rot— -Corns — Contraction  of  the  Hoop, 
or  Narrow  Heel — Injuries  to  the  Frog — Inflammation  of  the  Feet, 
or  Founder. 100 

CHAPTER  V. 

DISEASES  OP  Tnfe  GLANDS  AND  NASAL  MEMBRANES.— Blind 
Staggers — Glanders — Farcy — Distemper — Nasal  Gleet 118 

CHAPTER  VI. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.— Naturally  Weak  Eyes— Sore  Eyelids- 
Moon  Eyes — Cataract — Glass  Eyes — Inflammation  of  the   Haw,  or 

Hooks — Dimness  op  Vision— ^How  to  detect  a  bad  Eyb 164 

(▼) 


Vl  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  YII. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS— Fistula— Poll 
Evil — Blood  and  Bog  Spavin — Wind  Galls — Curb — Thorough-pin — 
Tetanus,  or  Lockjaw — Cramps — Rheumatism — Spasms — String  Halt, 
OR  Spring  Halt 184 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

DISEASES  OP-THE  SKIN  AND  EARS— Scratches— Thrush— Cracked 
Heels,  or  Greese  —  Swelled  Legs  —  Swelled  Ankles — Surfeit  — 
Mange — Hidebound — Stiff  Complaint — Warts  —  Sorb  Nose  —  Saddle 
Galls— Injuries  op  the  Ear — Sorb  Ears — Vermin 216 

CHAPTER  IX. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.— Water  on 
the  Bra  < — Apoplexy — Rabies  (Hydrophobia,  or  Madness) — Fits,  or 
Epilepsy — Palsy — Insanity » 246 

CHAPTER  X. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH— Teething,  or  Denti- 
tion— Shedding — Blind  Teeth — Decay  op  the  Teeth — Scurvy  of  the 
Teeth— Stump-sucking,  Crib-biting,  and  Wind-sucking — Lampas...  260 

CHAPTER  XL 

DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.— Colds— Enlarged  Glands— Swelled 
Throat — Cough — Malignant  Epidemic — Difficulty  of  Breathing  — 
Broken  Wind,  Bellows,  and  Heaves — Thick  Wind,  Wheezing,  etc. — 
Roaring '277 

CHAPTER  XIL 

DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS— Chest  Founder- Bron- 
chitis— Pneumonia,  or  Inflammation  of  the  Lungs — Consumption — 
Pleurisy. 295 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS— Sour  Stomach- 
Colic  in  the  Stomach — The  Bot — Inflammation  op  the  Bowels — En- 
teritis— Flatulent  Colic — Inflammation  and  Rupture  of  the  Colon — 
Inflammation  and  Bleeding  of  the  Rectum — Soreness  and  Itching  op 
the  Anus. « 307 


X 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.— Jaundicb, 
OR  Yellows — Enlargement  of  the  Spleen — Inflammation  of  the 
Kidneys,  or  Nephritis — Profuse  Stalling,  or  Diabetes  —  Bloody 
Urine,  or  Hematuria — Thick  and  Albuminous  Urine — White  or 
Limy  Urine — Gravel,  or  Stone  in  the  Bladder — Suppression  op 
Urine — Inflammation  of  the  Bladder — Foul  Sheath — Colt  Founder — 
Diseases  of  Young  Colts 328 

CHAPTER  XV. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.— Thumps— Scrofula- 
Fever,  OR  Inflammation  of  t^  Blood — Thick  Blood — Thin  Blood — 
Bleeding — The  Pulse — ^The  Modes  of  giving  Medicine — Drenching — 
The  Pill — In  the  Feed — The  Clyster. 353 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.— Internal 
Poisons — Poisons  op  the  Skin — Animal  Poisons 383 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.— Pasturing— Grasses  — Hay 
and  Fodder  —  Grain  —  Green  Feed  for  Winter  —  General  Stable 
Management  —  Light  —  Ventilation  and  Temperature  —  Flooring  — 
Bedding — Cleansing  and  Currying— Changes  op  Weather  and  Tem- 
perature— Blanketing — Disinfectants — Exercise 401 

CHAPITER  XVIII. 

BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.— The  Horse  and  his  Qualities— 
The  Mare;  her  Qualities  and  Treatment — The  Colt  and  his  Treat- 
ment— Crossing — Castrating — The  Mule — Stock  Farms 435 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.— The  Teeth— The  Lips— The  Hair— 
The  Chin — The  Eyes — The  Abuses  op  the  Horse — Over-working— 
Whipping  and  Beating — Cutting  and  Slitting  the  Ears — Nicking  and 
Docking — Racing , 468 

CHAPTER  XX. 

GENTLING,  BREAKING,  AND  TRAINING.— The  Young  Colt— The 
One  Year  old  Colt — The  Colt  at  Two  Years  old — Breaking — The 
Rarey  Method — Saddle  Horses — Horses  for  the  Buggy  and  Carriage 
— Draught  Horses — Roadsters — Mule  Breaking,  Trainikg,  Bra...  496 


VlU  TABLE  OF  CONTENTa 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

FRACTURES. — Fractures  op  the  Skull — Fractures  op  the  Nasal 
Bones — Fracture  of  the  Rib* — Simple  Fracture  of  the  Limbs — Frame — 
Pex — Setting  the  Bones — Treatment  op  the  Wounds — The  time  to 

HEAL 525 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

SnOEINGr. — The  putting  on  the  Shoe — Calking — Clips — The  Hinder 
Shoe — Different  kinds  of  Shoes — Paring  the  Hoofs — Changing  thb 
Shoes — The  time  op  wearin6 534 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HORSE.— I.  Vices:  Kicking— 
Biting — Rearing — Scaring... Running  away — Balking  and  Backing — 
Chewing  the  reins — Pulling  at  the  halter  and  breaking  away — 
Overreaching  AND  Interfering — Stumbling — II.  Unsoundness:  Defects 
OP  THE  Eye — Defects  of  the  Feet — Defects  op  the  Skin — Defects  op 
the  Respiratory  Organs — Defects  op  the  Stomach  and  Bowels — Thb 
Urinary  Organs — Conclusion 551 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
MEDICAL  PREPARATIONS  RECOMMENDED  IN  THIS  WORK..  662 

GLOSSARY  OF  SCIENTIFIC  AND  TECHNICAL  TERMS  USED  IN 
THIS  WORK 573 

GENERAL  INDEX 581 

TABLE  OF  SYMPTOMS  TO  FACILITATE  THE  DETECTION  OF 
DISEASE : 591 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  I. 

BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  HORSE. 

GENERAL   PRINCIPLES   KEPT  IN  VIEW  IN  THIS  WORK — REMARKS  ON 

CROSSING,  ETC. 

The  horse  is  a  native  of  several  districts  of  Asia  and 
Africa ;  and  in  the  Southern  parts  of  Siberia  large  herds  of 
these  animals  are  occasionally  seen.  In  Ukraine,  where  wild 
horses  are  often  found,  they  are  rendered  no  otherwise  serv- 
iceable to  man  than  as  food.  The  wild  horses  on  each  side  of 
the  Bon  are  the  oft'spring  of  the  Russian  horses  that  were 
employed  in  the  siege  of  Asoph,  in  the  year  1697,  when,  for 
want  of  forage,  they  were  turned  loose.  They  have  relapsed 
into  a  state  of  nature,  and  have  become  as  shy  and  timid  as 
the  original  savage  breed.  The  Cossacks  chase  them,  but 
always  in  the  winter,  by  driving  them  into  the  valleys  filled 
with  snow,  into  which  they  plunge,  and  are  caught.  Their 
excessive  swiftness  is  such  as  to  entirely  exclude  every  other 
mode  of  capture. 

The  horses  of  South  America  are  of  Spanish  origin,  and 
entirely  of  the  Andalusian  breed.  They  are  now  become  so 
numerous  as  to  live  in  herds,  some  of  which  are  said  to  con- 
sist of  ten  thousand. 

The  horse,  in  a  domesticated  state,  is  found  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  globe,  except,  perhaps,  w^ithin  the  Arctic  Circle ; 
and  his  reduction  and  conquest  is  generally  considered  as  the 
greatest  acquisition  from  the  animal  world  that  the  art  and 

11 


^%., 


■V 


12 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 


industry  of  man  have  ever  made.  In  our  opinion,  however, 
the  sheep  should  be  ranked  first  in  usefulness,  the  kine  sec- 
ond, and  the  horse  third. 

Of  the  six  ascertained  species  of  horses,  only  one  has  yet 
been  discovered  on  the  !N'ew  Continent  in  a  perfectly  wild 
state,  and  this  animal  has  cloven  hoofs.  It  is  an  inhabitant 
of  the  mountains  of  South  America. 

The  horse  is  a  type  of  man — of  man's  pride,  vices,  and  in- 
firmities, no  less  than  of  his  independence  and  strength.  His 
martial  traits,  especially,  have  been  the  theme  of  glowing  de- 
scription and  eulogy  in  all  ages.  The  unthinking  horse  that 
rushes  to  battle  is  but  the  truthful  representation  of  his 
great  prototype — man.  The  description  of  the  Eastern  horse 
in  the  book  of  Job  is  exceedingly  poetical  and  expressive : 


"  Hast  thou  given  the  horse  his  strength  ?  Hast  thou  clothed 
his  neck  with  thunder?  Canst  thou  make  him  afraid  as  a 
grasshopper?  The  glory  of  his  nostrils  is  terrible.  He  paw- 
eth  in  the  valley,  and  rejoiceth  in  his  strength ;  he  goeth  on 
to  meet  the  armed  men.  He  mocketh  at  fear,  and  is  not 
affrighted ;  neither  turneth  he  back  from  the  sword.  The 
quiver  rattleth  against  him,  the  glittering  spear  and  the 
shield.  He  swalloweth  the  ground  with  fierceness  and  rage; 
neither  believeth  he  that  it  is  the  sound  of  the  trumpet.    He 


BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  HORSE. 


13 


Baith  among  the  trumpets,  Ha !  lia !  and  he  smelleth  the  bat- 
tle afar  off,  the  thunder  of  the  captains,  and  the  shouting." 

The  exultant  song  of  Miriam,  after  the  passage  of  the 
children  of  Israel  through  the  Red  Sea,  is  the  second  place 
in  the  Bible  where  reference  is  made  to  the  horse.  In  her 
impassioned  recital  of  the  glorious  triumphs  whereby  the 
Lord  had  wrought  such  deliverance  for  his  people,  not  the 
least  was  that  "  the  horse  and  his  rider  hath  He  thrown  into 
the  sea." 


DAELEY  ARABIAN. 


The  horse  is  nearly  always  associated  in  Holy  Writ  wita 
man,  as  possessed  with  the  spirit  of  war,  and  of  great  fond- 
ness for  its  conflict  and  carnage.  He,  like  man,  requires,  and 
is  capable  of,  great  cultivation  and  discipline  for  the  murder- 
ous and  guilty  pursuit.  Associated  with  man  in  his  sins,  he 
has  been  cursed,  like  him,  with  his  diseases — the  sure  and 
certain  consequences  of  sin.    It  may  be  said  of  both  his  phys- 


X 


14  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

ical  structure  and  his  disorders  that  they  place  him  nearer 
man  than  do  those  of  any  of  the  other  heasts  of  the  field. 

The  history  of  the.  horse  affords  us  no  evidence  that  there 
has  heen  any  improvement  in  the  race  since  Pharaoh  and  his 
hosts  of  horsemen  and  chariots  were  overthrown  in  the  Red 
Sea.  The  Arabs  have  always  had  the  finest  horses  in  the 
world,  and  their  great  afiection  for  them  has  been  most  re- 
markable. Among  no  people  has  the  art  of  breeding  and 
training  the  horse  been  carried  to  such  perfection  as  among 
the  wandering  tribes  of  the  desert ;  and  nowhere  else  has 
there  been  such  freedom  from  disease,  unless  it  bo  among  the 
ponies  of  the  Western  Indians.  It  does  not,  then,  require  in- 
telligence nor  cultivation  to  have  good  horses,  or  even  the 
best.  And  whether  the  horse  has  advanced  in  improvement 
since  the  earlier  ages,  he  certainly  has  become  much  more 
subject  to  disease,  and  much  more  so  in  those  countries 
where  the  greatest  efforts  have  been  made  for  the  improve- 
ment of  fine  breeds.  Among  the  horses  of  England  and 
France  there  is  three  times  as  much  disease  as  in  America, 
and  ten  times  more  in  the  older  States  than  among  the  wild 
horses  of  the  plains  of  Texas,  or  the  Indian  ponies.  Both 
disease  and  degeneracy  have  kept  pace  with  the  efforts  of  < 
stable  breeding  and  management.  ^ 

But  few  persons  are  aware  that 
on  these  plains  are  to  be  found 
some  of  the  finest  horses  in  the 
world — in  size  and  form  and  mo- 
tion— some  of  them  of  the  most 
perfect  symmetry  and  models  of 
beauty,  and  possessing  all  the  va- 
ried movements  of  gracefulness  and 
agility  characterizing  the  horse 
trained  under  the  most  careful 
supervision,  and  often  in  a  much 
more  perfect  degree. 
Said  an  old  Texan  ranger  to  the  author,  as  they  were 
riding  together  across  the  great  prairies,  "  Have  y^u  heard 


# 


BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  HORSE. 


^, 


the  story  of  that  wild  pacing  mare  ?  "  And  he  proceeded  to 
relate  that,  on  the  plains  south  of  San  Antonio,  there  had 
often  been  seen,  in  one  of  the  droves  of  wild  horses  so  com- 
mon there,  a  beautiful  cream-colored  mare,  that  never  broke, 
her  pace,  however  hard  pressed ;  and  that  no  horse  had  ever 
been  found  of  sufficient  bottom  to  overtake  her,  although  she 
had  been  often  seen,  and  the  trial  made.  I  afterward  heard 
others  speak  of  her,  and  that  such  was  her  rapid  pacing  that 
she  could  not  be  caught. 

One  striking  peculiarity  of  the  wild  horse  of  the  plains, 
and  one  that  interests  us  more  in  this  work  than  any  other, 
is  that  hinted  at  above,  his  almost  entire  freedom  from  dis- 
ease. Could  we  learn  the  cause  of  this  exemption,  we  might 
do  well  to  imitate  the  example  of  these  dumb  instructors ;  and 
nothing  in  the  history  of  the  horse  could  be  of  more  interest 
or  benefit  than  to  learn  this  fact.  We  discover  two  causes 
of  disease  among  the  horses  of  civilized  life — ^the  diet,  the  food 
of  the  stables,  and  the  abuse  he  receives  from  his  master^ 
man.  The  wild  horses  are  free  from  both,  and,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  death  from  the  borer-fly,  or  from  accident,  they 
nearly  all  die  with  old  age;  and  some  of  them  live  to  a  great 
age.  They  take  exercise  as  N'ature  requires,  and  are  gov- 
erned by  its  instincts.  Their  food  is  the  wild  grass  of  the 
prairies,  and  their  drink  is  from  the  clear  water  brook. 
They  visit  often  the  salt  licks,  with  which  the  country  every- 
where abounds ;  and  their  simple  life  is  one  of  almost  entire 
freedom  from  disease,  and  in  which  their  natural  capacities 
are  developed  in  their  greatest  perfection  and  strength.  We 
could  recommend  no  better  veterinary  course  of  study  than 
a  trip  to  the  plains,  and  an  acquaintance  with  the  manners 
and  habits  of  the  wild  horse,  and  their  beautiful  symmetry  of 
form  and  movements,  the  last  of  which  has  been  compared  by 
one,*  who  has  given  a  description  of  them,  to  excel  the  best- 
trained  cavalry  in  the  world.  The  student  would  come  back 
with  his  mind  thoroughly  disgusted  with  the  vile  practices 

♦Washington  Irving. 


'A 


16  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

of  the  stables  and  the  farms — the  homes  of  the  horse  among 
civilized  man. 

In  England,  for  the  last  two  or  three  centuries,  the  rich 
.and  noble  have  been  engaged  in  improving  the  breeds  of 
horses,  and  bringing  out  all  their  fine  qualities ;  and  during 
all  this  time  he  has  improved  backward — has  actually  de- 
generated— ^gone  back  a  hundred  years;  and,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few,  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  land  in  the 
stables  of  rich  and  noble  gentlemen,  he  is  not  to  day  what 
he  was  in  the  days  of  Charles  I.  and  Oliver  Cromwell.  And 
if  we  are  to  take  the  statements  of  the  most  learned  and  re- 
liable English  authors  upon  the  horse,  there  has  been  a  very 
great  falling  off  in  the  last  fifty  years,  more  than  at  any 
former  period.  We  refer  to  the  statements  of  Mr.  Castley, 
and  of  Youatt  in  his  work  on  the  horse,  pp.  248-9.  This  is 
the  condition  of  the  farmer's  horse :  A  very  few  fine  horses 
are  to  be  found  among  the  rich,  who  gather  them  up  from 
all  parts  of  the  land ;  and  the  number  of  these  have  become 
80  few,  and  are  held  at  such  enormous  prices,  that  the  farmers 
can  not  procure  them  at  all.  And  many  a  rich  gentleman  in 
England  may  be  seen  riding  a  horse  now  not  so  good  as  the 
common  farmer  rode  to  his  fair  fifty  or  a  hundred  years  ago. 
It  used  to  be  common  for  the  old  English  farmer  to  ride  his 
fine  blooded  horse  to  the  fair,  but  that  day  has  passed.  All 
such  have  been  appropriated  by  the  rich  and  great,  and  so 
poorly  has  the  supply  kept  pace  with  the  demand,  that  there 
is  not  near  enough  to  meet  it,  and  the  disparity  is  becoming 
greater  every  year. 

This  is  the  case,  also,  in  Spain.  In  the  days  of  Spanish 
chivalry,  the  Andalusian  horse  was  the  finest  and  noblest  the 
world  has  ever  seen,  and  the  crusader  was  mounted  upon  the 
noblest  steed  that  ever  trod  the  soil.  But  what  are  the  An- 
dalusians  now  ?  Mere  ponies.  Their  former  greatness  is  gone. 
They  possess  no  points  of  resemblance  of  former  days.  They 
were  collected  from  their  native  hills  and  valleys  to  the 
haunts  and  service  of  civilized  man,  and  they  have  sunk  into 
obscurity  and  almost  extinction  from  the  earth. 


BEIEF  HISTOEY  OF  THE  HORSE.  .      17 

Sucji  ever  has  been,  and  such  ever  will  be,  the  history  of 
the  domesticated  horse.  'New  races  are  produced  by  breed- 
ing and  mixing  the  different  races,  yet  not  more  than  one 
out  of  %e  will  be  an  improvement  of  a  medium  of  the  two, 
and  the  others  will  fall  far  below  it,  and,  in  combination  of 
bloods,  the  days  will  be  shortened  and  the  infirmities  in- 
creased. 

In  our  own  country  the  same  law  governs,  and  may  be 
seen  to  a  large  extent.  But  his  treatment  is  so  much  better, 
and  on  our  farms  he  is  so  much  nearer  his  natural  condition, 
that  the  same  evil  results  are  not  seen.  Yet  the  horse  of  the* 
present  will  not  compare  with  those  of  the  days  of  the  Revo- 
lution. The  history  of  the  late  terrible  war  proves  this  but 
too  plainly.  The  qualities  of  the  cavalry  horse  of  the  present, 
and  his  powers  of  endurance,  in  comparison  with  those  of 
McDonald  and  Marion,  are  largely  in  favor  of  the  revolu- 
tionary times.  We  have  many  fine  horses  in  our  country, 
and  many  of  these  are  among  the  farmers,  but  is  the  general 
character  of  the  horse  what  it  was  in  former  times?  It  cer- 
tainly is  not.  Many  of  the  horses  are  larger  now,  but  they 
are  generally  coarser,  more  flabby  and  loosely  made,  and  do 
not  possess  the  compactness  of  form  or  the  powers  of  endur- 
ance of  the  horse  of  the  last  century,  and,  from  some 
source,  a  fountain  of  disease  has  sprung  that  is  deluging  our 
land  with  its  dreadful  virus,  and  disease  and  degeneracy  are 
terribly  on  the  increase.  From  whence  does  this  all  come, 
and  what  has  caused  it?  are  questions  that  interest  the  his- 
torian of  the  horse,  and  should  be  made  a  part  of  his  record, 
as  it  properly  belongs"  to  his  department. 

We  introduce  a  short  account  of  a  very  remarkable  race 
of  horses,  as  given  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Skinner,  formerly  Assistant 
Postmaster  at  Washington  City.  They  are  "very  small, 
compact,  hardy  horses,  called  beach  horses,  on  the  islands 
along  the  seaboard  of  Maryland  and  Virginia.  They  run 
wild  throughout  the  year,  and  are  never  fed.  When  the 
'  snow  sometimes  covers  the  ground  for  a  few  days  in  winter, 
they  dig  through  it  in  search  of  food.  They  are  very  dimin- 
2    • 


AMERJCAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 
\ 
utive,  but  many  of  them  are  of  perfect  symmetry  and  extra- 
ordinary powers  of  action  and  endurance."  One  served  as  a 
pony  for  the  boys  of  a  family  of  Accomac  for  several  genera- 
tions; another  could  trot  his  fifteen  miles  in  the  hour;  still 
another  that  it  was  believed  could  trot  his  thirty  miles  in  two 
hours." 

This  account  has  been  introduced  to  prove  still  more  clearly 
what  has  been  already  stated  in  connection  with  the  wild 
horse  of  the  plains,  that  man  has  ne^er  accomplished,  with 
all  his  plans  and  schemes  of  improvei^nt  of  Nature's  work, 
what  IlTature  is  constantly  doing  in  th^  same  department, 
unassisted  by  him. 

Man  has  been  trying,  in  all  ages  of  the  wArld,  to  do  I^ature's 
work;  has  interfered  with  her  laws,  and  tried  to  control  her 
action.  And  Nature  has  been,  when  obstructed,  silentl}^  at 
work,  far  outstripping  him,*,  and  showing  a  perfection  of 
beauty,  of  symmetry,  and  power  that  puts  to  shame  and  re- 
bukes the  madness  of  the  prophet,  and  exhibits  so  clearly 
the  weakness  of  man  and  his  folly. 

Whenever  man  undertakes  to  do  the  work*|Of  the  Creator, 
he  mars  its  beauty  and  excellency,  and  introdilces  discord  and 
death  as  the  result  of  his  patch-work.  \ 

The  beach  horse  is  the  Canadian  pony  breed,  originally 
from  the  south  of  France,  and  is  of  the  same  race. as  the  In- 
dian pony.  The  wild  horse  of  the  plains  is  of  the  old  Spanish 
stock  and  the  pure  Andalusian,  propagated  and  improved  by 
Nature's  in-and-in  during  hundreds  of  years.  The  fine  bloods 
of  England  and  America  are  crosses  of  the  Arabian  with 
several  others,  and  none  of  them  come  near  equaling  the 
original.  Many  an  Arab  of  the  desert  can  sell  his  mare  or 
horse  for  two  and  three  thousand  dollars,  ^nd  a  stallion  from 
the  cavalcade  of  one  of  the  more  power^l  Sheiks  will  bring 
almost  fabulous  prices.  / 

A  fine  Andalusian  may  be  met  with  occasionally  in  this 
beautiful  valley  in  Spain,  but  Spanish  in-and-in  crossing  of 
a  former  age  has  nearly  destroyed  the  race.  The  pure  races 
far  exceed  in  longevity  any  of  the  mixed  breeds.     The  pony 


BRIEF  HISTOEY  OF  THE  HORSE.  19 

will  last  three  times  the  life  of  the  ^American  horse.  The 
wild  rover  of  the  plains  lives  to  twice  his  age.  The  Arabian 
often  lives  to  thirty  and  even  fifty  years,  with  his  vigor  but 
little  impaired.  The  Indian  pony  has  been  known  to  live 
fifty  and  sixty  years.  The  American  or  English  horse  will 
not  average  fifteen. 

The  history  of  in-and-in  breeding,  and  the  crossing  of  dif- 
ferent races,  is  the  history  of  disease  and  deterioration.  The 
evils  arising  from  these  practices  are  untold  and  unimaginable. 
It  was  never  designed  to  be  so.  While  there  is  no  law  of  in- 
cest in  the  brute  creation,  it  is  unquestionable  that  great  evils 
result  both  from  mingling  the  blood  of  members  of  the  same 
family,  and,  also,  that  of  the  separate  and  distinct  races,  the 
same  as  in  the  human  family.  The  pure  races  have  ever  been 
superior  to  the  mixed.  There  is  an  awful  curse  resting  upon* 
the  amalgamation  of  the  races  in  the  human  family,  and  it  ap- 
plies to  man  in  his  mismanagement  of  the  brute  creation.  It  is 
assigned  in  the  Bible,  by  Ezra,  the  prophet,  as  the' cause  of  the 
banishment  and  captivity  of  the  Jews,  "  and  as  a  great  tres- 
pass in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,"  and  one  that  must  be  put 
away  to  bring  again  the  favor  of  the  Lord.  And  he  says, 
"When  I  heard  this  thing,  (the  mixing  of  the  holy  race 
with  other  races,)  I  rent  my  garments  and  my  mantle,  and 
plucked  off  the  hair  of  my  head  and  of  my  beard,  and  sat 
down  astonished."  And  so  will  every  intelligent  physiologist 
sit  down  astonished  at  the  folly  and  ignorance,  and,  more  so, 
of  the  gr^at  wickedness  of  those  who  would 'thus  subvert 
ITature's  laws  and  destroy  the  great  ground-plan  of  creation 
and  Providence  by  an  intermingling  of  the  different  races  in 
either  man  or  beast.  God,  in  his  wisdom  and  goodness,  after 
an  experiment  and  a  failure  of  one  race  upon  the  earth,  sent 
them  out  again,  different  races  of  all  animate  creation,  to 
fill  the  earth,  and  yet  to  be  kept  entirely  separate  from  each 
other,  and  giving  to  each  a  law  of  instinct  or  reason  to  govern 
them  in  their  habits  and  propensities ;  and  when  these  laws 
are  obeyed,  blessing  and  prosperity  attends ;  but  when  dis- 
regarded, the  consequence  is  a  blighting  curse.     Our  object 

\ 


\  ^ 


20  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

should  be  to  study  this  great  law  of  our  physical  being,  and 
also  in  the  brute  creation,  and  to  labor  for  the  improvement 
of  the  different  races,  not  the  formation  of  new  ones.  Such 
will  be  our  purpose  in  the  future  pages  of  this  work. 

It  is  not  our  design  to  enlarge  upon  these  topics  in  this 
very  brief  outline  of  history,  but  in  their  appropriate  chap- 
ters they  will  be  more  fully  presented.  It  is  with  the  horse 
as  we  find  him  in  America  that  we  have  to  do  in  this  work. 
!N"ot  the  general  history  of  his  races,  pedigrees,  and  perform- 
ances, but  the  history  of  his  diseases,  their  causes  and  cures, 
and  rational  and  generous  rules  for  his  treatment  and  gen- 
eral improvement. 

GENERAL   PRINCIPLES   KEPT  IN  VIEW  IN  THIS   WORK. 

Certain  leading  principles,  already  indicated  in  this  chap- 
ter, have  been  constantly  kept  in  view  in  the  preparation  of 
this  work.  An  epitome  of  these  will  probably  prove  of  ma- 
terial assistance  to  many  readers,  and,  as  it  will  occupy  but 
little  space,  is  here  introduced : 

1.  The  horse  is  naturally  a  wild  animal,  his  condition  of 
domestication  being  really  one  of  slavery. 

2.  His  wild  or  native  state  is  that  in  which  he  is  the  most 
free  and  happy,  and  that  in  which  he  lives  the  longest  and 
attains  the  most  perfect  development  of  his  natural  powers. 

3.  Like  the  human  family,  the  species  was  originally  di- ' 
vided  into  distinct  races,  which  races  Providence  designed 
should  be  kept  separate  forever. 

4.  In  their  wild  state,  the  different  races,  dispersing  in 
droves,  do  not  mingle  together,  and  if  they  were  left  to  follow 
the  instincts  of  nature,  intermixture  would  never  occur. 

5.  The  horse  is  not  naturally  a  diseased  animal.  He  is 
subject  to  extremely  few  hereditary  disorders,  or,  perhaps,  to 
none ;  but  indiscriminate  commingling  of  blood  has  fearfully 
multiplied  the  diseases  to  which  he  is  subject,  and  occasioned 
deplorable  degeneracy. 

6.  Improper  treatment  and  abuse  at  the  hands  of  man 


/ 


f 


BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  HORSE.  21 

have  been  the  causes  of  nearly  all  his  diseases,  and  of  his 
great  decay  as  regards  longevity  and  natural  capabilities. 

7.  The  horse  is  improved  and  becomes  more  efficient  as 
his  circumstances  are  brought  nearer  his  condition  by  nature, 
and  as  his  wants  are  better  understood  and  supplied. 

IMPORTANT  FACTS  TO   BE   REMEMBERED  IN  TREATING  DISEASES  OF 

THE   HORSE. 

1.  The  horse  is  more  like  man,  as  regards  general  structure 
and  the  pathology  of  his  diseases,  than  any  other  animal. 

2.  As  a  rule,  though  not  without  some  exceptions,  the 
causes  of  disease  in  man  operate  similarly  upon  the  horse, 
and  the  same  remedies  are  equally  efficacious  for  both. 

3.  Disease  is  either  general  or  local  in  its  character :  local 
when  only  some  particular  organ  or  part  is  afiected ;  general 
when  the  whole  system  is  involved. 

4.  l^early  all  disorders  of  both  man  and  beast,  whatever 
may  have  been  the  primary  or  external  causes,  proceed  from 
obstruction  and  derangement  of  the  circulation  and  secretive 
functions.  Therefore,  to  keep  in  health,  prevent  these  ob- 
structions; to  restore  to  health,  remove  them. 

6.  Although  disease  does  not  originate  in  the  blood,  this 
is  the  medium  by  which  it  is  transmitted  throughout  the 
general  system. 

6.  One  of  the  functions  of  the  nervous  system  is  to  assist 
in  propelling  the  blood  through  the  veins  and  arteries.  Hence, 
any  derangement  of  the  nerves  affects  the  circulation,  and. 
vice  versa. 

7.  The  size  of  the  horse  is  ten  times  that  of  man.  His  or- 
ganism is  coarser,  and  the  vessels  of  his  system  are  larger  in 
proportion.  When  medicines  are  administered,  they  must  be 
of  corresponding  strength. 

8.  Compared  with  man,  the  horse  breathes  only  half  as  fast. 
The  same  is  true  in  respect  to  the  rate  at  which  his  pulse 
beats  and  his  blood  flows. 

9.  Disease  usually  develops  itself,  and  likewise  abates,  much 
more  slowly  in  the  horse  than  in  man. 

\ 


#■  -^ 


k 


22  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

10.  All  medicines  are  not  uniform  in  their  action  upon  dif- 
ferent animals.  Some  substances  which  are  poisonous  to  man 
are  quite  harmless  to  the  horse.     The  reverse  is  also  true. 

11.  The  fewer  the  medicines  given  the  horse,  provided  the 
cure  is  effected,  the  better.  Thousands  of  valuable  animals 
are  killed  yearly  by  excessive  drenching. 

12.  !N*ature  can  not*  be  forced,  but  may  be  assisted  and  re- 
lieved ;  and  to  accomplish  this  there  must  be  an  adaptation 
of  the  treatment  to  the  nature  of  the  disease. 

13.  As  no  effect  can  exist  without  adequate  cause,  when- 
ever disease  is  detected,  we  may  be  sure  that  its  sources  are 
not  far  remote.  AYhatever  these  may  be,  lio  time  should  be 
lost  in  tracing  them  out,  and  in  removing  them,  if  it  is  possi- 
ble to  do  so. 

14.  Great  as  is  the  disadvantage  under  which  the  veteri- 
nary practitioner  labors,  from  the  fact  that  the  sufferer  can 
not  speak,  it  is  compensated  in  great  degree  by  the  expressive 
actions  of  the  animal ;  and  treatment  of  the  horse  may  always 
be  undertaken  with  greater  hope  and  confidence  than  that 
of  the  human- patient,  because  it  may  be  made,  with  perfect 
safety,  much  more  vigorous  and  decided. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  23' 


CHAPTER  II. 

OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE. 

,  In  discussing  this  subject,  we  propose  to  depart  from  the 
method  usually  followed  by  anatomists  in  their  divisions, 
classes,  and  descriptions,  and  to  present  the  whole  subject 
briefly  in  one  distinct,  connected  chapter,  and  in  its  natural, 
consecutive  order.  The  classification  of  the  horse  among 
other  animals  in  natural  history,  and  his  relations  to  them, 
are  matters  of  no  practical  moment  to  the  farmer  and  stock 
dealer.  To  them  the  subjects  of  chief  importance  are  the 
horse's  own  peculiar  history;  his  adaptation  to  the  service  of 
man,  and  the  best  modes  of  training  him  and  fitting  him  for 
that  purpose ;  the  general  laws  of  health,  and  the  means  of 
its  preservation ;  and  the  diseases  to  which  he  is  subject,  with 
their  proper  treatment,  and  means  for  their  prevention  as 
well  as  cure.  It  will  be  sufiicient,  in  a  work  like  this,  to 
communicate  a  general  knowledge  of  his  structure,  so  that, 
in  the  treatment  of  disease,  the  part  affected  may  be  readily 
known,  and  the  remedy  intelligently  applied. 

Our  plan  of  discussion  will  be  similar  to  that  of  the  car- 
penter in  building  a  house,  which  concerns,  first,  the  frame- 
work ;  next,  the  braces  and  pins  that  hold  it  together ;  then 
the  covering,  and,  lastly,  the  inside  finish.  In  the  same  man- 
ner, we-  will  consider,  first,  the  bones,  which  constitute  the 
frame- work  of  the  horse ;  next,  the  muscles  and  tendons — 
the  braces  which  fasten  the  former  together;  then  the  skin 
and  hair,  the  horse's  covering;  and,  lastly,  the  internal  finish — 
the  entire  vascular  arrangement  of  lungs,  heart,  intestines, 
urinary  organs,  blood-vessels,  capillaries,  and  pores,  with  the 
whole  glandular  and  nervous  structure. 

Our  limits  allow,  and  our  purpose  requires,  but  a  short 


24 


AMERICAN  FAEMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


III! 


.2 


»  2"=f2  s  ;s  s  s  si  s  s  §f  ^  g5  ^  s's  i  s  s'  ?f  S5  ss  s  s  5  ^'  58 !; 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STEUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  25 

space  for  the  discussion  of  each  of  these  divisions.  We  begin 
with  the  general  frame-work.  In  this  division,  although  a 
minute  description  of  each  part  is  foreign  to  our  purpose,  we 
present  the  engraving  of  a  very  perfect  skeleton,  accurately 
indexed  for  reference  or  investigation. 

The  skeleton  is  composed  of  two  hundred  and  forty-seven 
separate  bones,  which  are  united  by  joints  to  form  the  spine, 
thorax,  pelvis,  tail,  and  fore  and  hind  extremities.  The  spine 
is  finished  anteriorly  by  the  head,  which  is  divided  into  the 
cranium,  or  skull,  and  face,  and  contains  the  teeth.  Sus- 
pended from  the  head  is  the  os  hyoides  (bone  of  the  tongue), 
which  completes  the  number  of  bones ;  thus : 

The  Spine  consists  of  7  cervical,  18  dorsal,  and  6  lumbar  vertebrae. 

Total 31 

The  Thorax  is  made  up  of  the  dorsal  vertebrae,  with  18  ribs  on  each 

side,  and  the  sternum  in  the  middle.     Total 37 

The  Pelvis  comprises  2  ossa  innominata  (or  illium,  ischium,  and 

pubes),  and  1  sacrum.     Total 3 

The  Tail  contains,  on  the  average,  17  bones.     Total 17 

The  Fore  Extremity  is  made  up  on  each  side  of  the  scapula,  humerus, 
OS  brachii,  and  8  carpal  bones;  3  metacarpal,  os  suffraginis,  os  cor- 
onas, OS  pedis,  08  naviculare,  2  ossa  sessamoidea.  Total  on  both  sides  40 
The  Hind  Extremity  has  the  femur,  patella,  tibia,  fibula,  6  tarsal 
bones,  3  metatarsals,  os  suffraginis,  os  coronas,  os  pedis,  os  navicu- 
lare, 2  ossa  sessamoidea.     Total 38 

Bones  of  the  Cranium 10 

Bones  of  the  Face  and  Lower  Jaws 18 

Teeth 40 

Bones  of  the  internal  Ear,  four  in  each  organ 8 

Os  Hyoides,  or  Bone  of  the  Tongue,  made  up  of  five  sections 5 

Grand  total 247 

The  hoofs  are  the  mud-sills  of  the  frame-work,  each  hold- 
ing— coffin-like — within  its  cavity  the  coffin-bone  (os  pedis), 
which  is  the  first  bone  in  the  leg.  Next  above  this  is  the 
lower  pastern-bone,  in  front  resting  upon  the  coffin-bone 
firmly  and  closely,  but  with  an  opening  at  the"  back,  which 
admits  a  small  bone,  of  a  peculiar  shape,  called  the  navic:i- 
lar — literally,  ship-shaped — or  shuttle-bone  (os  naviculare). 


26 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


This  extends  backward,  and  forms  the  projection  of  the  heel. 
l^ext  in  order  is  the  upper  pastern- bone,  upon  which  rests 
the  shank-bone,  with  the  sessamoid  bone,  which  articulates 
with  the  ankle-joint,  and  laps  over  the  point  of  junction  of 
the  shank  and  upper  pastern-bone.  The  knee-joint  is  com- 
posed of  seven  bones.  Sometimes  a  small,  floating  bone  is 
found  at  the  back  of  the  joint,  making  eight  in  all.  Back 
of  the  knee,  and  just  below  it,  is  a  small,  thin  bone,  extend- 
ing down  the  front  shank  nearly  its  entire  length,  and  de- 
nominated the  splin,t-bone  of  the  fore-leg.  Above  the  knee 
is  the  main  bone  of  the  leg  (the  radius),  known  among  horse- 
men as  the  arm.  It  is  the  longest  and  largest  bone  of  the 
fore-leg.  Above  the  arm  is  a  bone  of  peculiar  shape,  named 
the  ulna  (elbow).  Still  higher  up  is  the  hurinerus,  the  upper 
bone  of  the  arm,  sometimes  rather  vaguely  termed  the  shoul- 
der-bone.    This  completes  the  bones  of  the  fore-leg. 


a  The  upper  pastern. 
b  The  lower  pastern. 
c  The  navicular  bone. 
d  The  coffin-bone. 

riff.  2. 

a  The  sessamoid  bone. 

b  The  upper  pastern. 

c  The  lower  pastern. 

d  The  navicular  bone. 

c  The  coffin-bone,  with  the  horny  laminae. 


In  the  hind  leg,  the  bones  are  precisely  similar,  until  we 
reach  the  hock-joint,  which  is  composed  of  s/x  bones.  The 
shank  of  the  hind  leg  has  two  splint-bones,  while  the  fore- 
leg has  but  one.  The  point  or  projection  of  the  hock  is 
called  the  os  calcis,  or  heel-bone.  Above  this  is  the  tibia, 
(flute,  or  pipe-bone,)  the  largest  bone  of  the  whole  structure. 
Behind  this,  and  fitting  closely  to  it,  is  a  small  bone  called 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  27 

fibula  (signifying  a  clasp,  or  buckle).  The  stifle-joint  is  formed 
by  the  tibia  and  the  femur,  or  thigh-bone,  which  is  next 
above.  It  is  covered  in  front  by  the  patella,  or  knee-pan. 
The  six  bones  of  the  haunches,  or  hips — three  on  each  side^ — 
complete  the  bones  of  the  hind  limbs.  Upon  the  four  legs, 
which  serve  as  posts,  rests  the  superstructure. 

I^ext  may  be  mentioned  the  bones  of  the  head.  The  most 
noteworthy  of  these  are  the  superior  and  inferior  maxillaries, 
the  upper  and  lower  jaw-bones.  In  these  are  set  the  teeth : 
24  molars,  or  grinders — 6  on  each  side,  both  above  and  below ; 
12  incisors,  or  front  teeth — six  above  and  six  below ;  and  4 
canine  teeth,  or  tushes — one  on  each  side,  above  and  below. 

The  bones  of  the  skull  are  thin  plates,  curved  so  as  to  give 
the  head  its  shape,  and  locked  together  by  saw-like  or  dove- 
tailed edges,  to  prevent  displacement.  The  principal  ones, 
from  their  several  positions,  are  respectively  called  the  frontal, 
nasal,  and  occipital  (eye)  bone.  Underneath  the  two  former 
are  innumerable  little  scales  of  bone,  some  of  them  entirely 
unconnected  with  the  others,  but  most  of  them  united  to  the 
several  bones  of  the  head.  These  are  so  arranged  as  to  form 
many  irregular  cavities,  technically  designated  siymses. 

On  the  top  of  the  head,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  neck, 
is  a  double  and  yet  united  bone  on  each  side — the  temporal 
bone — to  w^iich  the  first  bone  of  the  neck  (the  atlas)  is  at- 
tached by  that  peculiar  ligament,  commonly  known  as  the 
whit-leather,  which  is  found  nowhere  in  the  whole  body  ex- 
cept here  and  at  the  top  of  the  shoulder.  It  is  in  this  liga- 
ment that  poll-evil  and  fistula  have  their  origin. 

Here  begins  the  line  of  the  vertebrae  forming  the  spine. 
This  consists  of  thirty-one  bonQS,  linked  together  by  lock- 
joints.  The  seven  joints  of  the  neck  are  called  the  cervical 
vertebrae,  and  those  of  the  back  proper,  the  dorsal  vertebrae. 
The  latter  are  eighteen  in  number,  each  having  an  upward 
projection,  varying  in  length  at  different  parts  of  the  back. 
At  the  shoulder  this  projection  is  never  less  than  three 
inches,  and  in  some  horses  is  as  much  as  four  or  five.  It 
becomes  less  toward  the  middle  of  the  back,  at  which  point 


28  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

it  is  not  more  than  from  an  inch  and  a  half  to  two  inches  in 
length.  The  six  lumbar  vertebrae,  or  bones  oi  the  loins,  comes 
next,  and  complete  the  spine  proper.  The  spinal  column, 
however,  is  continued  by  the  sacrum,  (literally,  the  sacred 
bone,)  and  the  bones  of  the  tail,  whose  number  is  not  unir 
form  in  different  animals,  but  averages  about  seventeen.  The 
main  bones  of  the  hip  unite  with  the  spine  and  sacrum  at 
the  termination  of  the  lumbar  vertebrae. 

Many  anatomists,  among  whom  is  Youatt,  adopt  a  slightly 
different  classification  in  regard  to  the  bones  of  the  spinal 
column.  They  consider  the  sacrum  to  b.e  made  up  of  five 
bones,  which  are  denominated  the  sacral  vertebrae.  Some 
writers,  also,  specify  fifteen  as  the  average  number  of  bones 
in  the  tail. 

Upon  each  side,  at  the  shoulder,  is  a  bone  called  the  scap- 
ula, the  shoulder-blade.  This  unites,  at  its  lower  extremity, 
with  the  humerus,  from  its  articulation  with  which  it  spreads 
out  and  becomes  very  thin,  with  a  ridge  like  the  letter  "T" 
running  through  its  middle.  It  extends  upward  to  the  back- 
bone, to  which  it  is  united  by  muscle  alone.  It  is  this  bone 
which  is  the  seat  of  that  dreadful  disease  swinney,  or  inflam- 
mation of  the  shoulder. 

The  ribs — eighteen  upon  each  side — are  so  arranged  as  to 
give  form  and  strength  to  the  body,  and  protect  the  vital 
organs  from  injury.  The  sternum,  or  breast-bone,  is  com- 
posed of  six  or  seven  pieces,  and  constitutes  the  floor  of  the 
chest.  It  is  a  long,  spongy  bone,  fixed  between  the  ribs  on 
either  side,  serving  as  a  support  for  the  seven  true  ribs — the 
forward  ones — which  closely  articulate  with  it. 

We  have  thus  given  a  sketch  of  the  horse's  entire  frame- 
work, with  all  the  bones  that  compose  it,  and  the  principal 
offices  they  perform.  The  diseases  of  the  bones  will  be  con- 
sidered elsewhere. 

The  bones  are  classified  as  the  solid,  the  hollow,  and  the 
spongy.  The  solid  are  the  thin  plate-bones,  such  as  are 
found  in  the  head  and  the  back  portions  of  the  jaw,  and  in 
some  parts  of  the  body.    The  hollow  bones  are  those  of  the 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STKUCTUEE  OF  THE  HORSE.  29 


legs,  the  hips,  and  parts  of  the  jaws.  These  are  the  largest 
and  strongest  in  the  body,  as  they  need  to  be,  in  order  to 
resist  the  great  strain  and  pressure  to  which  they  are  con- 
stantly subject.  The  spongy  bones  include  the  ends  or  heads 
of  all  the  bones  that  articulate  to  form  the  joints ;  the  entire 
number  of  small  bones  that  form  the  joints;  the  shoulder- 
blades,  the  ribs,  and  the  upper  and  back  portions  of  the 
maxillaries,  or  jaw-bones.  The  spongy  portions  are  those  in 
which  disease  and  exostosis,  or  enlargement,  nearly  always 
make  their  appearance. 


The  entire  movements  of  the  body  and  limbs,  with  a  few 
trifling  exceptions,  are  effected  by  the  agency  of  that  pe- 
culiar substance  known  in  our  butchers'  shops  as  flesh,  and 
which  is  recognized  by  anatomists  as  muscular  tissue.  This 
constitutes  the  chief  bulk  of  the  soft  parts  outside  the  three 
great  cavities  of  the  body  (the  cranial,  thoracic,  and  abdom- 
inal). They  possess  great  power  of  motion,  being  composed 
of  numberless  little  strings,  or  fibers,  each  of  which  has  a 
contractile  and  elastic  power  of  itself,  the  whole  being  so  ar- 
ranged as  best  to  serve  the  purpose  intended.  "While  each 
fiber  has  an  independent  elasticity,  it  acts,  at  the  same  time, 
in  conjunction  with  all  the  others  in  the  muscle  of  which  it 
forms  a  part,  so  that  their  united  power  becomes  very  great. 
This  may  be  realized  when  we  consider  that  it  is  they  which 
give  to  the  horse  his  immense  strength.  One  very  noticeable 
feature  in  the  anatomy  of  the  muscles  is  the  albuminous 
coating  which  surrounds  each  fiber,  and  thus  prevents  fric- 
tion. It  fills  the  interstices  throughout  the  muscle,  all  whose 
parts  are  united  and  bound  together  by  means  of  its  sticky, 
waxy  qualities,  with  the  strength  of  "  a  three-fold  cord  which 
can  not  be  broken." 

Each  muscle  terminates  in  a  more  solid,  compact,  whitish 
substance,  commonly  called  a  cord.  Such  it  really  is,  acting 
with  reference  to  the  joint  in  the  same  manner  as  the  cord 
to  a  pulley.     (See  description  under  heading,  The  Tendons.) 


9 


30  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  muscles  possess  but  a  limited  degree  of  sensibility. 
When  the  flesh  is  cut  by  any  sharp  instrument,  comparatively 
little  pain  is  experienced  after  the  skin  and  membranes  are 
passed  through.  They  are  but  seldom  the  seat  of  disease, 
except  such  as  proceeds  from  external  injuries.  Sometimes, 
however,  dreadful  ulcers  establish  themselves  within  the 
muscular  tissues,  which  occasion  great  swelling,  and  dis- 
charge immense  quantities  of  matter. 

Among  horse  dealers  it  is  a  common  remark,  iu  discussing 
the  qualities  of  a  particular  horse,  that  "he  has  muscle.'' 
This,  of  course,  refers  not  to  the  number  of  the  muscles,  but 
to  their  size  and  power.  One  horse  has  as  many  muscles  as 
another.  It  is  only  in  their  quality — in  their  flexibility  and 
elasticity — that  any  difference  can  occur.  Here,  however,  it 
is  very  great;  and  hence  one  important  reason  for  the  ex- 
tremes which  are  found  in  the  market  value  of  different  ani- 
mals. A  horse's  power  depends  much  less  upon  the  amount 
of  his  muscle  than  upon  its  quality.  The  superior  strength 
and  quickness  of  some  horses  are  principally  owing  to  their 
muscular  fibers  being  stronger,  more  elastic,  and  possessing 
greater  power  of  contraction  than  those  of  others.. 

Fattening  an  animal  does  not  increase  bis  muscles  or  his 
strength;  nothing  but  the  adipose,  or  fatty,  matter  is  in- 
creased. This  gives  to  the  parts  a  full  and  rounded  appear- 
ance, so  much  admired  in  the  horse,  and  also  covers  up  many 
serious  defects.  The  accumulation  of  fat,  when  excessive, 
becomes  a  positive  obstruction  to  muscular  action.  A  full, 
rounded  form  is  not  an  evidence  of  fine  qualities,  nor  lean- 
*  ness  of  a  lack  of  them.    The  horse  which  is  thin  in  flesh,  but 

in  good  health  and  well  fed,  possesses  more  muscular  power 
and  action,  and  especially  greater  endurance,  than  one  very 
fat.  Besides  this,  the  latter  is  much  more  liable  to  disease. 
While  these  are  facts  known  to  every  horseman,  it  is  equally 
■^.,  true,  however,  that  a  certain  amount  of  adipose  matter,  with 

regular  and  proper  exercise,  is  essential  to  the  possession  of 
the  highest  degree  of  vital  energy  and  strength. 

The  fat  of  the  horse's  system  has  less  to  do  with  the  mus- 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  31 

cles  than  with  the  skin  and  hair,  whose  condition  it  affects 
materially.  Oozing  out  at  the  pores,  it  oils  the  entire  surface 
of  the  skin — which  is  thus  kept  soft  and  pliant — makes  the 
hair  smooth  and  glossy,  and  thus  imparts  to  the  horse  one 
of  his  chief  beauties.  This  is  Nature's  own  mode  of  adorn- 
ment. 

There  is  another  agent  which  has  a  more  important  influ- 
ence upon  both  the  action  and  the  power  of  the  muscles. 
This  is  the  albumen  already  referred  to.  Upon  its  quality 
and  consistence  depends,  in  great  degree,  the  horse's  strength. 
In  it  lies  imbedded  the  fibrine  of  the  muscles,  which  it  sur- 
rounds on  every  side,  and  holds  in  one  compact  mass.  It  is 
the  waxy  substance  found  in  green  meat,  making  it  stick  to 
the  hands,  sometimes  with  considerable  force.  Its  quantity 
and  quality  are  dependent  upon  the  vital  energies,  and  will 
be  increased  or  diminished,  in  both  these  respects,  as  the 
vital  forces  become  impaired,  or  are  improved.  On  the  other 
hand,  its  condition  has  an  important  reflex  influence  upon 
the  vital  forces. 

When  the  horse  is  thin  in  flesh  from  bad  health,  or  an  in- 
sufficiency of  food,  the  character  of  the  albumen  is  materially 
changed.  Il^ot  o^ly  does  it  become  much  less  in  quantity, 
but  also  more  sticky  and  thick.  The  fibers  sink  down,  one 
upon  another,  and  adhere  to  ieach  other  to  such  an  extent  as 
greatly  to  obstruct  their  action.  The  difference  between 
their  freedom  of  movement  when  in  a  healthy  condition,  and 
their  retarded  action  when  the  animal's  vital  energies  have 
been  seriously  impaired,  is  about  the  same  as  one  would 
experience  in  drawing  a  thousand  separate  strings,  yet  all 
together,  first  through  oil  and  next  through  tar.  It  requires 
a  labored  effort  for  the  feeble  or  half-starved  horse  to  move 
the  tens  of  thousands  of  muscular  fibers  in  his  body  through 
the  thick,  wax-like  consistence  which  characterizes  this  al- 
buminous matter  when  he  is  in  such  a  condition. 

The  color  of  the  albumen  is  another  important  item  in  this 
description.  The  fibrine  is  white,  and  the  red  tint  of  the  flesh 
is  due  entirely  to  the  presence  of  the  coloring  matter  con- 


32  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

tained  in  the  albumen.  "When  the  horse  or  the  beef  is  in 
sound  health  and  fine  plight  generally,  the  color  of  the  flesh 
is  a  light  red,  bordering  on  yellow.  This  appearance  is  in 
consequence  of  the  albumen  being  largely  diluted  with  water, 
80  largely,  indeed,  that  it  is  now  of  about  the  consistency  of 
cream.  But  let  the  same  animal  be  much  reduced  by  disease 
or  hunger,  and  his  flesh  will  become  dark  red  in  color,  verg- 
ing on  brown,  and  the  albumen  thick  and  sticky,  like  tar. 
A  very  fat  horse  has  ten  times  as  much  albumen  as  a  very 
poor  one. 

K  any  one  wishes  to  test  the  difference  which  these  two 
conditions  present,  let  him  hold  in  one  hand  a  piece  of  lean 
meat  from  a  very  fat  beef,  and  in  the  other  a  piece  from  a 
very  poor  one.  He  will  readily  perceive  all  that  we  wish  to 
illustrate.  The  soldiers  often  speak  of  blue  beef  and  sticky 
beef,  declaring  tbat  if  a  piece  of  their  poor,  army  meat  be 
thrown  against  the  side  of  a  house  it  will  stick  there.  This 
shows  the  eft'ects  of  extreme  poverty  upon  the  albumen  of 
the  flesh.  Disease  produces  similar  results.  The  flesh  of 
cattle,  it  may  be  interesting  to  know,  does  not  possess  so 
much  of  this  element  as  that  of  horses,  but  generally  much 
more  of  the  adipose,  or  fatty  matter. 

It  is  the  accumulation  of  albumen  that  gives  the  full, 
rounded  muscle,  and  its  thin,  mucous  consistency  is  the  index 
of  health  and  good  condition.  It  loosens  and  lubricates  the 
fibers  of  the  muscles,  renders  them  elastic  and  flexible,  and 
gives  power  and  tone  to  their  action.  It  also  affords  nutri- 
tion to  the  fibrine,  and  supports  its  growth.  The  fact  that 
muscle  is  composed  of  these  two  elements — fibrine  and  albu- 
men— ^is  an  important  hint  to  the  farmer  in  regard  to  the 
diet  best  adapted  to  keep  up  or  increase  the  strength  of  his 
team.  Such  articles  as  contain  these  substances  in  greatest 
proportion,  and  in  such  condition  as  to  be  most  readily  as- 
similated in  the  formation  of  muscle,  are  those  with  which  he 
should  feed  his  horses.  The  subject  of  diet  will  be  discussed 
in  a  future  chapter. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE  33 

THE   TENDONS. 

Of  these  there  are  a  great  many,  but  the  limits  of  our  work 
will  not  permit  us,  any  more  than  in  the  case  of  the  muscles, 
even  to  classify  them,  nor  to  make  any  further  mention  of 
them  than  simply  as  they  come  within  the  scope  of  our  pur- 
pose— the  history  and  treatment  of  the  diseases  of  the  horse. 
All  of  the  muscles  end  in  tendons,  and  by  these  are  attached, 
by  means  of  cartilages,  to  the  bones  at  the  joints.  To  bor- 
row a  figure  from  mechanics,  the  bones  may  be  considered 
the  pulleys,  the  tendons  the  ropes,  and  the  muscles  the  power 
pulling  at  the  end  of  the  ropes.  Though,  in  general,  non- 
elastic,  the  tendons  possess  great  hardness  and  toughness, 
and  serve  an  important  purpose  in  the  animal  economy. 
Every  joint,  of  course,  is  provided  with  them,  since  it  is  only 
by  their  assistance  that  motion  is  obtained  at  all.'  They  are 
liable  to  diseases  of  various  kinds,  and  are  the  seat  of  that 
dreadful  complaint,  rheumatism. 

It  is  in  two  important  tendons  of  the  horse's  system  that 
fistula  and  poll  evil,  those  terrible  enemies  of  the  equine 
race,  always  intrench  themselves.  The  description  of  one 
of  these  tendons  will  be  that  of  both,  since  they  difier  only 
as  regards  location.  The  large  one  is  situated  at  the  top 
of  the  shoulder.  It  is  composed  of  fibers  of  a  remarkable 
texture  and  peculiar  whiteness,  possessing,  in  addition  to  the 
great  strength  belonging  to  the  tend6ns  in  general,  a  sur- 
prising degree  of  elasticity.  It  is  the  serratus  major  of  anat- 
omists, (literally,  great  saw-shaped,)  but  is  popularly  known 
as  the  white-leather  or  whit-leather.  Extending  underneath 
the  top  of  the  shoulder-blade  for  a  considerable  distance,  it 
appears  to  serve  the  purpose  of  a  pad  for  the  blade  to  press 
against,  by  which  means  the  ribs  are  protected  from  injury. 
It  is  attached  to  the  chest  in  front,  and  to  the  smooth,  in- 
ternal surface  of  the  blade,  and,  being  strengthened  by  the 
muscles,  it  is  of  the  utmost  service  in  supporting  the  weight 
of  the  body  and  sustaining  the  severe  shocks  of  the  most 
daring  leap  and  the  most  rapid  motion.  From  the  upper 
3 


84  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

extremity  of  the  blade  it  extends  across  the  top  of  the  back, 
where  it  rests  upon  the  point  of  the  vertebrae,  and  unites 
with  the  corresponding  tendon  upon  the  opposite  side.  Thus 
it  hangs  across  the  back  like  the  pads  of  a  saddle. 

Fistula,  which  will  be  described  at  length  in  Chapter  YII, 
is  a  swelling  and  ulceration  of  the  serratus  major,  consequent 
upon  some  external  injury.  Poll  evil  is  a  similar  affection 
of  the  smaller  of  these  two  singular  tendons — or  muscles,  as 
they  are  sometimes  called — the  seiraius  minor,  situated  at 
the  top  of  the  head,  with  which  it  connects  the  bones  of  the 
neck. 

THE   MEMBRANES. 

These  form  the  thin,  smooth  coating  that  extends  over  all 
the  bones,  separating  them  from  the  muscles,  and  that  in- 
closes the  brain,  lines  all  the  cavities  of  the  body,  and  covers 
the  bowels,  kidneys,  hearts,  lungs,  and  the  other  organs  of 
similar  location.  They  also  line  the  mouth,  the  nostrils,  the 
throat,  and  trachea,  and  are  found  in  all  places  throughout 
the  body  where  openings  occur. 

They  have  received  different  names,  according  to  their 
locations  and  the  parts  which  they  invest.  The  prefix  jperi, 
signifying  over  or  covering,  is  used  in  connection  with 
nearly  all  the  more  important  of  them,  and,  when  thus  em- 
ployed, it  designates  the  membrane  which  is  over,  or  which 
incloses,  the  particular  organ  or  part.  Thus  the  periosteum 
invests  the  bones ;  the  pericranium  lines  the  skull ;  the  peri- 
cardium is  the  sack  in  which  the  heart  is  placed ;  the  peri- 
toneum is  the  strong  investing  membrane  of  the  external 
surface  of  the  bowels,  and  covers  the  walls  of  the  entire 
abdominal  cavity.  A  notable  exception  to  the  usual  nomen- 
clature of  the  membranes  is  afforded  by  the  pleura,  which 
envelops  the  lungs,  and  lines  the  cavity  of  the  thorax,  or 
chest.  Every  farmer  and  butcher's  boy  is  familiar  with  the 
smooth,  glossy  appearance  of  the  serous  membrane  through- 
out the  regions  of  the  lungs  and  bowels,  and  elsewhere,  in 
the  anatomy  of  the  various  domestic  animals. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  35 

The  use  of  the  membranes  is  to  protect  the  organs  which 
they  inclose.  The  serous  membrane  is  very  thin,  yet  hard 
and  tough.  It  is  cut  or  penetrated  with  more  difficulty  than 
any  other  part  of  the  body,  except  the  bones.  From  its 
smooth  surface,  hurtful  foreign  substances  readily  glide  oft*, 
if  the  force  with  which  they  strike  it  be  not  very  considerable. 
One  striking  peculiarity  of  this  membrane  is  its  almost  en- 
tire insensibility.  It  is  too  thin  itself  to  contain  nerves  or 
blood-vessels  of  much  size.  A  large  number  of  these,  how- 
ever, lie  immediately  beneath  it.  It  has  no  diseases,  as  yet 
discovered,  but  may  be  torn  or  ruptured,  of  course. 

THE    SKtN. 

The  skin  is  the  roof  and  covering  of  the  horse's  entire 
structure.  The  hair  forms  an  essential  appendage  of  the 
skin,  and  is  most  appropriately  considered  in  connection 
with  it.  This  is  the  clothing  of  the  horse's  body,  renewed 
by  ligature  once  a  year.  We  extract  from  Youatt's  excellent 
work  upon  the  English  horse  the  following  interesting  de- 
scription of  the  skin,  and  its  functions : 

"  The  skin  of  the  horse  resembles  in  construction  that  of 
other  animals.  It  consists  of  three  layers,  materially  differ- 
ing in  their  structure  and  office.  Externally  is  the  cuticle — 
the  epidermis,  or  scarf-skin — composed  of  innumerable  thin, 
transparent  scales,  and  extending  over  the  whole  animal.  If 
the  scarf-skin  is  examined  by  means  of  a  microscope,  the 
existence  of  scales,  like  those  of  a  fish,  is  readily  detected. 
In  the  action  of  a  blister,  they  are  raised  from  the  skin  be- 
neath in  the  form  of  pellucid  bladders,  and,  in  some  dis- 
eases, as  in  mange,  they  are  thrown  ofi^  in  hard,  dry,  white 
scales,  numerous  layers  of  which  are  placed  one  above 
another.  In  every  part  of  the  body  the  scarf-skin  is  perme- 
ated by  innumerable  pores,  some  of  which  permit  the  pas- 
sage of  the  hair ;  through  others  the  perspirable  matter  finds 
a  passage ;  others  are  perforated  by  tubes,  through  which  va- 
rious unctuous  secretions  make  their  escape;  while  through 
a  fourth  variety  numerous  fluids  and  gases  are  inhaled. 


S6  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

"  There  is,  at  all  times,  a  singular  change  taking  place  in 
the  outer  covering  of  the  animal.  There  is  a  constant  alter- 
ation and  renewal  of  every  part  of  it,  but  it  adheres  to  the 
true  skin,  through  the  medium  of  the  pores,  and  also  nu- 
merous little  eminences  or  projections,  which  seem  to  be 
prolongations  of  the  nerves  of  the  skin.  The  cuticle  is  it- 
self insensible,  but  one  of  its  most  important  functions  is  to 
protect  and  defend  the  parts  beneath,  which  are  so  often  ex- 
posed to  a  morbid  sensibility. 

"Beneath  the  cuticle  is  a  thin,  soft  substance,  through 
which  the  pores  and  eminences  of  the  true  skin  pass.  It  is 
termed  the  rete  mucosum,  from  its  web-like  structure,  and  its 
soft,  mucous  consistence.  Its  office  is  to  cover  the  minute 
vessels  and  nerves  in  their  way  from  the  cutis  to  the  cuticle. 
It  is  also  connected  with  the  color  of  the  skin.  In  horses 
with  white  hair,  the  rete  mucosum  is  white;  it  is  brown  in 
those  of  a  brown  color;  black  in  the  black,  and  in  patches  of 
different  colors  with  those  the  hue  of  whose  integument  varies. 
Like  the  cuticle,  it  is  reproduced  after  abrasion  or  other  injury. 

"The  cutis,  or  true  skin,  lies  beneath  the  rete  mucosum. 
It  is  decidedly  of  a  fibrous  texture,  elastic,  but  with  difficulty 
lacerated,  exceedingly  vascular,  and  highly  sensitive.  It  is 
the  substance  which  is  converted  into  leather  w^hen  removed 
from  the  body,  and  binds  together  the  different  parts  of  the 
frame.  In  some  places  it  does  this  literally,  arid  clings  so 
closely  to  the  substance  beneath  that  it  scarcely  admits  of 
any  motion.  This  is  the  case  about  the  forehead  and  the 
back,  while  upon  the  face,  the  sides,  and  flanks,  it  hangs  in 
loosened  folds.  In  the  parts  connected  with  progression  it 
is  folded  into  various  duplicatures,  that  the  action  of  the 
animal  may  admit  of  the  least  possible  obstruction.  The 
cutis  is  thinnest  and  most  elastic  on  those  parts  that  are 
least  covered  with  hair,  or  where  the  hair  is  altogether  de- 
ficient, as  the  lips,  the  muzzle,  and  the  inside  of  the  flanks. 
Whatever  is  the  color  of  the  rete  mucosum,  the  true  skin  is 
of  a  pale  white.  In  fact  the  cutis  has  no  connection  with 
the  color  of  the  hair.     *    *    * 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  37 

"  Over  a  great  part  of  the  frame  lies  a  muscle  peculiar  to 
quadrupeds,  and  more  extensive  and  powerful  in  the  thin- 
skinned  and  thin-haired  animals  than  those  with  thicker 
hides.  It  reaches  from  the  poll  over  the  whole  of  the  car- 
cass, and  down  to  the  arm  before,  and  the  stifle  behind.  By 
its  contraction  the  skin  is  puckered  in  every  direction,  and 
if  it  acts  strongly  and  rapidly,  the  horse  is  not  only  enabled 
to  shake  off  any  insect  that  may  annoy  him,  but  sometimes 
to  displace  a  great  part  of  his  harness,  and  to  render  it  diffi- 
cult for  the  most  expert  rider  to  keep  his  seat.  This  muscle 
also  assists  the  skin  in  bracing  that  part  of  the  frame  which 
it  covers,  and,  perhaps,  gives  additional  strength  to  the 
muscles  beneath.  It  is  called  the  panniculous  camosus,  or 
fleshy  panuicle  or  covering. 

"  The  skin  answers  the  double  purpose  of  protection  ai4d 
strength.  Where  it  is  necessary  that  the  parts  should  be 
bound  and  knit  together,  it  adheres  so  tightly  that  we  can 
scarcely  raise  it.  Thus  the  bones  of  the  knees  and  the  pas- 
terns, and  the  tendons  of  the  legs,  on  which  so  much  stress 
is  frequently  thrown,  are  securely  tied  down  and  kept  in 
their  places.  *  *  *  Of  its  strength  we  have  abundant 
proof,  both  in  the  living  and  dead  animal.  Its  fibers  are 
interlaced  in  a  most  curious  and  intricate  manner,  so  as, 
when  living,  to  be  scarcely  lacerable,  and  converted  into 
leather  after  death. 

"It  is,  while  the  animal  is  alive,  one  of  the  most  elastic 
bodies  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  It  not  only  perfectly 
adapts  itself  to  the  slow  growth  or  decrease  of  the  body,  and 
appears  equally  to  fit,  whether  the  horse  is  in  the  plumpest 
condition  or  reduced  to  a  skeleton ;  but  when  a  portion  of  it 
is  distended  to  an  extraordinary  degree,  in  the  most  power- 
ful action  of  the  muscles,  it,  in  a  moment,  again  contracts  to 
its  usual  dimensions. 

"It  is  principally  indebted  for  this  elasticity  to  almost 
innumerable  minute  glands,  which  pour  out  an  oily  fluid  that 
softens  and  supples  it.  When  the  horse  is  in  health,  and 
every  organ  discharges  its  proper  functions,  a  certain  quan- 


*38  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

titj  of  this  unctuous  matter  is  spread  over  the  surface  of  the 
skin,  and  is  contained  in  all  the  pores  that  penetrate  its  sub- 
stance; and  the  skin  becomes  pliable,  easily  raised  from  the 
texture  beneath,  and  presenting  that  peculiar  yielding  soft- 
ness and  elasticity  which  experience  has  proved  to  be  the 
best  proofs  of  the  condition,  or,  in  other  words,  the  general 
health  of  the  animal.  Then,  too,  from  the  oil  in  ess  and  soft- 
ness of  the  skin,  the  hair  lies  in  its  natural  and  proper  direc- 
tion, and  is  smooth  and  glossy.  When  the  system  is  deranged, 
and  especially  the  digestive  system,  and  the  vessels  concerned 
in  the  nourishment  of  the  animal  feebly  act,  those  of  the 
skin  evidently  sympathize.  This  oil  is  no  more  thrown  out; 
the  skin  loses  its  pliancy;  it  seems  to  cling  to  the  animal, 
and  we  have  that  peculiar  appearance  which  we  call  hide- 
bound.    *    *    * 

"Besides  the  avenues  already  mentioned,  through  which 
proceeds  the  unctuous  fluid  that  supples  and  softens  the  skin, 
there  are  others  more  numerous,  by  means  of  which  a  vast 
quantity  of  aqueous  fluid  escapes,  and  perspiration  is  carried 
on.  As  in  the  human  being,  this  actually  exists  in  a  state 
of  health  and  quietness,  although  imperceptible;  but  when 
the  animal  is  excited  by  exercise,  or  labors  under  some  stages 
of  disease,  it  becomes  visible,  and  appears  in  the.  form  of 
drops. 

"  This  process  of  perspiration  is  not,  however,  so  far  under 
the  control  of  medicine  as  in  the  human  being.  We  are  not 
aware  of  any  drugs  that  will  certainly  produce  it.  Warm 
clothing  seems  occasionally  to  effect  it,  but  this  is  more  in 
appearance  than  in  reality.  The  insensible  perspiration  can- 
not escape  through  the  mass  of  clothing,  and  assumes  a  vis- 
ible form.  *  *  *  Of  the  existence  of  absorbent  vessels 
on  the  skin,  or  those  which  take  up  some  fluid  or  sub- 
stance, and  convey  it  into  the  circulation,  we  have  satisfac- 
tory proof.  A  horse  is  even  more  easily  salivated  than  the 
human  being."  * 

*The  correctness  of  this  opinion  we  do  not  regard  as  fully  established. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.         39 


THE  HAIR. 

In  some  parts  of  the  horse's  body — especially  at  the  ueck, 
where  the  mane  appears,  and  from  the  dock,  whence  depends 
the  tail — grows  a  peculiarly  coarse,  strong,  stiff  hair.  This  is 
the  horse-hair  of  upholsters  and  house-keepers,  and  is  never 
shed.  If  it  is  plucked  out  or  rubbed  off,  it  grows  out  again, 
although  slowly. 

But  what  chiefly  interests  us  in  this  connection  is  the 
general  coat  of  hair,  which  Nature  has  not  only  bestowed 
upon  the  horse  as  clothing,  but  has  so  arranged  that  it  adapts 
itself  to  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  of  the  varying  sea- 
sons. In  the  spring  the  old  coat  of  thick,  coarse  hair  comes 
off,  and  discovers  a  new  one,  about  half  an  inch  in  length, 
readj^to  supply  its  place.  This  coat  is  finer  and  much  thinner 
than  that  which  has  just  been  shed,  and  is  admirably  adapted 
to  the  change  in  temperature.  When  the  horse  is  in  health, 
it  has  a  smooth,  glossy  appearance,  and  is  soft  and  downy  to 
the  touch.  As  the  season  again  changes  and  the  cold  in-^- 
creases,  a  new  suit  of  hair  begins  to  show  itself,  much  thicker 
and  coarser.  This  is  in  addition  to  the  finer  summer  coat, 
and  together  they  form  a  dense  covering  of  hair,  capable  of 
shielding  the  animal  from  great  degrees  of  cold. 

"We  are  satisfied  that  the  horse  does  not  shed  his  spring 
coat  upon  the  approach  of  winter,  as  many  have  stated.  If 
any  one  will  take  the  trouble  to  examine  closely,  he  will  find 
two  kinds  of  hair  in  the  winter  coat.  There  are  good  reasons 
for  believing  that  the  summer  hair  takes  a  second  growth  as 
cold  weather  draws  near.  In  fact  the  horse  always  has  two 
kinds  of  hair.  Even  in  summer  there  is  intermingled  with 
the  longer,  coarser  kind,  a  shorter  hair  of  almost  silken  soft- 
ness. Of  the  former  the  horse  is  relieved  in  the  fall.  The 
latter,  which  remains  until  the  next  spring,  takes  another 
growth,  and  forms  the  coarse  hair  of  winter,  while  the  fine 
hair  of  that  season  is  of  a  new  and  much  thicker  growth. 
In  the  spring  the  whole  of  the  old  growth  is  shed,  and  with 
it  a  portion  of  the  new,  since  otherwise  there  would  be  much 


40  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

more  than  the  needs  of  the  summer  require.  The  old  coat, 
as  the  weather  continues  growing  warmer,  is  gradually  re- 
placed by  the  new.  Thus  the  suit  which  the  horse  will  need 
in  the  fall  begins  to  grow  in  the  spring,  and  that  for  the 
spring  in  the  fall.  By  these  wise  provisions  N'ature  keeps 
the  horse  constantly  in  clothing. 

The  oft-repeated  assertion  that  the  horse  becomes  much 
weakened  and  unhealthy  during  the  process  of  shedding  do 
not  seem  borne  out  by  the  facts.  If  any  animal  exhibits  any 
such  unfavorable  symptoms  at  this  period,  the  causes  may 
be  much  more  reasonably  set  down  to  the  change  in  the  sea- 
sons and  from  the  stable,  with  its  confinement  and  dry, 
unnatural  diet  to  out-door  life  and  grass. 

There  are  oily  secretions  in  the  skin,  as  already  described 
in  the  extract  we  have  given  from  Youatt,  which  ir^  health 
pour  out,  and,  spreading  over  the  hair,  give  it  the  beautiful 
glossy  appearance  all  so  much  admire ;  but  when  disease  is 
at  work,  these  fountains  are  often  closed,  the  coat  assumes 
a  rough,  ragged  look,  and  the  hair  stands  out  stift",  dry,  and 
bristling. 

THB   FEET. 

Volumes  might  be  written  in  regard  to  the  feet,  so  pecu- 
liar is  their  construction,  so  important  their  uses,  so  severe 
.  their  services,  and  so  numerous  the  diseases  with  which  they 
are  afflicted.  Many  of  the  latter  are  among  the  most  obstin- 
ate and  serious  of  all  the  ailments  to  which  horse-flesh  is 
heir.  In  the  veterinarian's  descriptions,  as  in  his  practice,  a 
large  proportion  of  his  time  must  be  devoted  to  the  feet. 

Their  diseases  will  be  treated  of,  in  detail,  in  Chapter  lY. 
We  can  here  only  stop  to  give  a  general  outline  of  their 
complicated  structure,  which  the  reader  will  be  greatly  as- 
sisted in  understanding  by  referring  to  the  appropriate  cuts 
already  introduced. 

The  hoof  is  the  horny  crust  or  wall  that  incloses  the  sen- 
sible or  living  portion  of  them,  and  extends  from  the  hair 
downward  to  the  edge  that 'Vests  upon  the  ground.    It  is 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STEUCTUEE  OF  THE  HOESE.  41 

longest  in  front,  where  its  extreme  point  is  called  the  toe. 
Behind  it  is  open,  and  the  crust  terminates  in  a  thick,"  por- 
ous skin,  divided  by  a  seam  at  the  back  part  of  the  foot, 
and  presenting  two  convex,  lateral  extensions,  which  together 
are  called  the  heel.  At  the  top  of  the  crust,  where  it  unites 
with  the  hair,  is  the  coronary  ring.  This  is  a  thick,  spongy 
substance — soft  hoof,  in  fact,  in  process  of  formation.  It  is 
to  the  horse's  feet  what  the  roots  of  the  nails  are  to  the 
human  fingers  and  toes.  Another  crust,  less  brittle,  and 
more  elastic,  extends  under  the  foot,  forming  the  sole,  and 
presenting  a  somewhat  concave  surface  to  the  ground.  At 
the  back  part  of  the  foot  is  a  horny  projection  in  the  shape  of 
a  letter  Y,  with  its  opening  toward  the  heel.  The  two  sides 
of  this  projection,  which  should  unite  at  an  angle  of  about 
forty-five  degrees,  are  called  the  bars.  What  horsemen  call 
the  inside  quarter  of  the  foot,  is  that  part  without  the  bars, 
next  to  the  opposite  foot.  The  outside  quarter  lies  upon  the 
other  side  of  the  foot.  Within  the  bars  is  the  frog.  This 
is  of  the  color  of  dark  India-rubber,  which  substance  it  re- 
sembles in  its  degree  of  toughness  and  hardness,  but  possesses 
less  elasticity.  The  entire  crust  of  the  frog  is  insensible,  but 
at  the  depth  of  about  half  an  inch  is  found  the  sensible  or 
living  portion,  exceedingly  tender,  and  filled  with  innumer- 
able little  nerves  and  blood-vessels. 

Inside  of  the  hoof  are  two  spongy  bones — the  coffin  and 
shuttle-bones  {os  pedis  and  os  naviculare) — which  are,  at  times, 
the  seat  of  most  obstinate  disease.  These  occupy  little  more 
than  one-half  the  space  within  the  hoof;  the  remainder  is 
filled  by  cartilages,  tendons,  and  muscles,  through  which 
ramify  a  greater  proportionate  distribution  of  little  nerves 
and  blood-vessels  than  can  be  found  in  any  other  part  of 
the  body. 

There  is  a  very  important  tendon  (the  flexor  tendon),  ex- 
tending from  the  back  part  of  the  lower  pastern  bone  {ps 
coronce)  and  coffin-joint  over  the  extremity  of  the  shuttle- 
bone,  where  it  divides  into  two  parts,  which  pass  down 
upon  each  side  of  Jhe  indentation  of  the  heel  and  frog,  and 


42  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

unite  with  the  lower  extremities  of  the  coffin-bone.  This 
tendon,  together  with  the  shuttle-bone,  forms  the  extension 
of  the  heel,  and  lies  immediately  upon  the  inner  or  sensible 
frog.  Hence,  any  injuries  which  the  latter  may  sustain  will 
be  likely  to  involve  both  this  tendon  and  the  soft  shuttle- 
bone. 

THE   BLOOD-VESSELS. 

Blood  is  defined  by  Dunglison,  in  his  Medical  Dictionary, 
to  be  "an  animal  fluid  formed  chiefly  from  the  chyle,  ac- 
quiring important  properties  during  respiration,  entering 
every  organ  through  the  circulation,  distributing  the  nutri- 
tive principle  to  every  texture,  and  the  source  of  every  se- 
cretion. The  blood  is  white  in  many  of  the  inferior  animals, 
and  they  have  been  called  white-blooded  to  distinguish  them 
from  red-blooded,  which  class  includes  animals,  birds,  reptiles, 
and  fishes.  Human  blood  is  composed  of  water,  albumen, 
fibrine,  an  animal  coloring  substance,  a  little  fatty  matter, 
and  the  difierent  salts,  as  chloride  of  potassium,  phosphate 
of  lime,  subcarbonate  of  soda,  lime,  magnesia,  oxide  of  iron, 
and  lactate  of  soda,  united  with  an  animal  coloring  matter. 
Arterial  blood  is  of  a  florid  red  color ;  venous  blood  of  a 
brownish  red." 

The  blood  of  the  horse  difiers  but  slightly  from  that  of 
the  human  being.  The  important  functions  which  the  vital 
fluid  discharges  in  the  animal  economy  is  sufficiently  indi- 
cated by  the  character  and  variety  of  its  constituent  ele- 
ments, all  of  which  are  needed  to  repair  the  waste  and 
decay  of  the  system,  and  which  the  blood  is  constantly  car- 
rying to  every  part.  In  studying  the  blood  of  the  horse  at 
any  particular  season,  we  are  studying  his  general  condition ; 
and  to  keep  it  pure  is  the  secret  of  maintaining  the  animal 
in  health. 

Two  principal  components  unite  to  form  the  blood.  These 
are  the  serum,  which  is  the  watery  fluid,  and  the  coagulum, 
or  clot.  It  is  the  latter  which  contains  the  little  red  corpus- 
cles which  give  color  to  the  blood.     In  quantity,  it  much 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  43 

exceeds  the  serum.  Every  one  can  readily  find  opportuni- 
ties of  marking  the  difference  between  these  constituents 
of  the  blood.  It  is  only  necessary  to  let  rest  for  a  few 
minutes  a  quantity  of  the  latter,  fresh  drawn,  when  a  coag- 
ulation will  take  place,  by  which  the  clot  and  serum  will  be 
separated. 

The  circulatory  process  in  animal  life  suggests  the  com- 
parison of  a  pond  or  lake,  first  fed  by  a  few  considerable 
streams,  which  have  been  formed  by  other  and  smaller  ones, 
and  these,  in  turn,  by  a  multitude  of  little  rills,  originating 
in  drops  of  water  oozing  almost  imperceptibly  from  the 
earth;  then  drained  by  other  channels,  which  divide  and 
subdivide  into  innumerable  rivulets  and  trickling  streams, 
until,  at  last,  all  become  absorbed  and  lost  beneath  the  sur- 
face. Yet  from  the  reservoir,  hidden  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  the  water  finds  its  way  to  the  surface,  where  it  again 
oozes  out  in  drops,  which  accumulate  in  streamlets  and 
rivers,  to  feed  the  lake  as  before.  Again  the  outlets  spread 
out  upon  the  other  side,  and  ramify,  until  they  are  swallowed 
up  beneath  the  surface.  Thus  the  round  continues  indefi- 
nitely. 

In  a  similar  manner  the  functions  of  circulation  are  car- 
ried forward.  The  heart  is  the  reservoir;  the  veins,  the 
feeding  streams;  the  arteries,  the  streams  that  flow  away 
upon  the  other  side. 

The  circulatory  system  of  the  horse,  like  that  in  the  hu- 
man body,  consists  of  the  arteries,  veins,  and  capillaries. 
The  arteries  are  the  vessels  which  convey  the  red,  oxygen- 
ized blood  from  the  heart  to  every  part  of  the  body.  The 
capillaries  are  the  net- work  of  minute  vessels  which  ramify 
through  every  organ  and  part,  and,  though  generally  spoken 
of  as  constituting  a  distinct  system  of  blood-vessels,  should 
properly  be  regarded  as  simply  the  termination  of  the  arte- 
ries and  the  commencement  of  the  veins— the  connecting 
links  between  the  arterial  and  ven9us  systems.  The  veins 
are  the  ducts,  through  which  the  blood,  now  become  of  a 
dark  color,  returns  to  the  heart. 


44  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Each  artery  has  three  distinct  coats.  The  outer  one  is  ot 
a  cellular  structure,  and  is  capable  of  great  distension;  that 
upon  the  inside  is  a  serous  membrane,  presenting  internally 
a  smooth  surface,  which  serves  to  diminish  the  friction  of 
the  blood  as  it  rushes  on.  The  middle  coat,  largely  com- 
posed of  muscular  fibers,  is  highly  elastic.  In  it  resides  the 
power — without  which  circulation  would  be  all  but  impossi- 
ble— of  equalizing  the  flow  of  blood,  retarding  its  impetuous 
velocity  when  near  the  heart,  and  accelerating  it  when  con- 
siderably removed  from  that  great  central  force-pump  of  the 
system. 

Although  made  up  of  the  same  number  of  coats,  the  walls 
of  the  veins  are  much  thinner  and  weaker.  These  vessels 
are  much  more  numerous  than  the  arteries,  notwithstanding 
which  their  ramifications  may  be  described,  in  general  terms, 
as  corresponding  with  the  latter.  Their  iuternal  area  is 
nearly  double  that  of  the  arteries.  They  are,  of  course,  much 
less  directly  afiected  by  the  action  of  the  heart.  Hence,  their 
pulsations  are  scarcely  perceptible,  and  the  blood  flows 
through  them  more  slowly.  A  feature  peculiar  to  the  veins 
is  the  existence  of  valves,  of  various  construction,  which 
prevent  the  blood  from  returning  upon  its  course,  and  as- 
sist in  impelling  it  toward  the  heart.  These  are  sometimes 
single,  at  others  double,  and  occasionally  arranged  in  threes 
and  fours,  around  the  interior  of  most,  though  not  all,  of  the 
large  veins. 

Thus  far  we  have  considered  only  the  general  circulation. 
When  we  come  to  the  beautiful  process  known  as  the  pul- 
monary circulation,  a  portion  of  our  description  must  be  ex- 
actly reversed — the  pulmonary  artery  conveying  the  impure, 
dark  blood  from  the  right  ventricle  of  the  heart  to  the  lungs, 
where  it  is  oxygenized,  or  purified,  and  thence  returns  to  the 
left  auricle  of  the  heart,  through  the  pulmonary  vein,  pos- 
sessed of  a  scarlet  brightness.  Interesting  phenomena  occur 
in  connection  with  what  physiologists  term  the  portal  circu- 
lation (pertaining  to  the  liver),  but  they  are  exceptional  and 
local.     We  must  pass  on  to  a  description  of  the  general  plan 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  45 

of  the  circulation,  which  has  been  already  anticipated  in 
some  measure. 

After  the  purified  blood  has  been  returned  to  the  left 
auricle  of  the  heart,  by  the  means  just  indicated,  it  passes 
into  the  left  ventricle,  whose  thick,  muscular  walls  contract 
with  immense  power,  and  force  it  out,  through  the  proper 
valves,  into  the  aorta,  the  great  artery  of  the  whole  body. 
This  divides  into  two  large  branches,  after  proceeding  about 
two  inches.  The  smaller  branch  is  extended,  by  a  multitude 
of  subdivisions,  to  every  part  of  the  head  and  fore  extremi- 
ties ;  the  larger  one,  in  a  similar  manner,  throughout  the  body 
and  hind  extremities. 

The  blood  is  now  freighted  with  the  varied  elements  neces- 
sary for  repairing  the  losses  by  natural  decay  and  wear  and 
tear,  which  every  tissue  in  the  whole  body  is  constantly  un- 
dergoing. This  reparative  process  is  what  physiologists  call 
nutrition.  It  is  conducted  in  the  capillaries,  the  minute  and 
hair-like  vessels  in  which  the  arteries  every-whfere  terminate. 
Although  the  capillaries  vary  greatly  in  their  modes  of  rami- 
fication, according  as  they  minister  to  gland,  membrane,  or 
muscular  fiber,  their  ofiices  are  the  same  in  all  locations. 
These  offices  include,  besides  nutrition,  the  gathering  up  of 
the  worn-out,  worthless  particles  of  matter  which  the  organs 
of  excretion  are  continually  throwing  off,  through  the  circu- 
lation, in  all  parts  of  the  system.  In  the  performance  of  these 
duties,  capillary  action  changes  the  color  of  the  blood  from 
a  scarlet  to  a  brownish  red.     It  also  develops  animal  heat. 

The  veins  now  receive  this  dark  blood  at  their  origin  amid 
the  net- work  of  the  capillaries,  and  convey  it  back  to  the 
heart.  As  they  approach  that  organ,  they  continue  to  unite, 
and"grow  larger,  of , course.  At  length,  they  pour  their  entire 
contents  through  the  two  vena  cavce,  the  veins  which  cor- 
respond to  the  great  arterial  branches  of  the.  aorta,  into  the 
right  auricle.  Only  a  thin  wall  of  muscle  now  separates  the 
blood  from  its  starting-point,  at  the  outlet  of  the  left  ventricle, 
upon  the  other  side  of  the  heart.  But  through  this  partition 
there  is  no  passage;  nor  is  the  blood  ready  to  pass  to  the 


46  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

other  side,  if  there  was  one.  Before  it  can  be  sent  forth 
again  to  minister  to  the  needs  of  the  body,  it  must  be  puri- 
fied. Not  only  must  the  particles  of  efiete,  cast-off  matter, 
which  it  has  accumulated  from  every  part  of  the  system,  be 
eliminated  and  thrown  off;  but  the  chyle  also — the  substance 
into  which  the  nutritive  elements  of  the  food  have  been  pre- 
viously converted  by  digestion — must  be  submitted  to  yet 
another  process  before  it  becomes  fully  prepared  to  afford  the 
means  of  nutrition  to  the  constantly  disorganizing  tissues  of 
all  kinds.  (The  chyle,  it  must  be  understood,  empties  into 
one  of  the  vena  cavce  through  the  thoracic  duct,  and  mingles 
with  the  venous  blood  which  is  returned  to  the  right  auricle.) 

These  objects  are  accomplished  through  the  pulmonary 
circulation  already  mentioned.  The  lungs,  composed  of  two 
lobes,  are  of  a  I^Dongy  texture,  and  filled  with  innumerable 
little  air-cells.  They  ^re  furnished  with  an  exceedingly  fine 
net-work  of  capillary  vessels,  distributed  on  their  walls,  and 
throughout  the  surface  of  all  the  air-cells  also.  The  impure 
venous  blood,  as  it  circulates  through  the  capillaries,  is  sub- 
mitted to  the  agency  of  atmospheric  air  under  extremely 
favorable  circumstances.  It  absorbs  the  oxygen  of  the  air, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  gives  oft*  large  volumes  of  carbonic  acid 
gas,  this  being  the  form  in  which  the  accumulated  impurities 
of  the  blood  now  exist.  The  wonderful  rapidity  with  which 
this  process  is  carried  on  may  be  understood,  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  the  extent  of  surface  upon  which  the  minute 
capillaries  ramify  in  the  lungs  is  supposed  to  be  ten  or 
twelve  times  that  of  the  skin. 

Having  been  thus  purified,  the  blood  regains  its  bright  red, 
or  scarlet,  appearance,  and  is  again  propelled  forward,  through 
the  heart  and  arteries,  upon  the  same  excursion  as  before. 
It  reaches  every  part  of  the  body,  perfectly  ramifies  through- 
out every  organ,  and  permeates  every  muscle,  tendon,  liga- 
ment, bone,  and  even  to  the  skin  itself,  ^nd  every  hair  upon 
its  surface.  There  is  no  part,  however  minute,  remote,  or 
unimportant,  to  which  it  does  not  find  its  way,  by  means  of 
the  divisions  and   innumerable  subdivisions  of  the  vessels 


^"■■^ 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  47 

which  convey  it.  There  is  no  tissue  an3nvhere  in  the  entire 
system  which  does  not  receive  from  the  blood  the  elements 
essential  for  its  development  and  health — ^the  materials,  in 
fact,  of  which  it  is  composed.  After  its  work  is  done  here, 
the  blood  becomes  the  scavenger  of  the  body,  collecting  the 
impure  and  deleterious  excretions,  and  returning  with  them 
to  the  heart  and  thence  to  the  lungs,  there  to  be  exhaled  in 
the  breath,  as  already  described. 

The  importance  of  the  arterial  flow  can  hardly  be  estimated. 
Without  it  no  function  could  be  discharged,  and,  in  fact,  life 
itself  would  be  extinct.  Yet  it  may  be  made  the  sure  means 
of  disease,  by  forcing  it  into  harmful  and  poisonous  sub- 
stances. Great  and  constant  attention  should  be  exercised 
in  regard  to  the  materials  introduced  into  the  stomach,  either 
as  food  or  medicine,  since  they  so  surely  and  speedily  fin^ 
their  way  into  the  stomach. 

THE   HEART. 

Of  the  heart,  much  has  necessarily  been  said  in  the  pre- 
ceding section.  All  that  now  remains  to  be  added  is  a  de- 
scription of  its  difterent  parts,  and  their  oflices.  It  occupies 
the  space  between  the  lungs  denominated  the  mediastinum, 
and  is  invested  by  a  double  membrane  of  its  own,  called  the 
pericardium.  This  forms  a  little  sac,  whose  of&ce  it  is  to  sup- 
port the  heart  in  its  natural  position,  and  prevent  friction 
between  the  heart  and  the  surrounding  parts. 

Four  cavities  occupy  the  spaces  within  the  walls  of  the 
heart — two  above,  called  auricles,  from  their  fancied  resem- 
blance in  form  to  the  ear,  and  two  below,  called  ventricles. 
The  walls  of  each  ventricle  are  much  thicker  than  those  of 
the  auricle  upon  the  same  side,  and  also  in  the  left  ventricle 
than  in  the  right.  Why  this  difference  is  quite  plain,  from 
the  uses  of  each  of  these  parts,  as  explained  in  the  last  sec- 
tion. The  ventricles  are  in  that  part  of  the  heart  toward  its 
apex,  or  point. 

Into  the  right  auricle  open  the  two  vena  cavse  and  the  cor- 
onary veins, — ^those  which  supply  the  heart  itself  with  blood. 


48  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  right  ventricle  coraraiinicates  with  the  right  auricle  bj 
an  orifice  provided  with  a  valve.  From  it  arises  the  pul- 
monary artery,  through  which  the  venous  blood  is  forced  to 
the  lungs  by  the  contraction  of  this  ventricle.  After  being 
purified  in  the  lungs,  the  blood  is  carried  back  to  the  left 
auricle  of  the  heart  by  the  four  pulmonary  veins,  (eight  in 
number  when  they  leave  the  lungs,)  which  thus  carry  arterial 
blood.  From  the  left  auricle  the  blood  passes  through  the 
mitral  valve  into  the  left  ventricle,  whose  powerful  walls 
contract  and  force  it  out  into  the  aorta,  the  great  arterial 
trunk,  from  which  diverge,  by  successive  subdivisions,  all 
the  other  arteries  in  the  body. 

We  have  seen  that  there  is  no  communication  through  the 
muscular  partition  separating  the  right  and  left  sides  of  the 
heart.  This  mode  of  structure  gives  much  increased  power 
to  the  contraction  of  the  heart,  which  is  simultaneous  upon 
both  sides. 

The  blood,  then,  is  forced  through  the  arteries  by  successive 
impulsions,  which  are  caused  by  contractions  of  the  heart. 
When  an  artery  of  considerable  size  comes  near  the  surface, 
these  successive  impulsions  may  be  distinctly  seen  through 
the  skin  and  coats  of  the  artery,-  or  they  may  be  felt  by  lay- 
ing the  finger  upon  them.  This  is  the  simple  explanation  of 
the  pulse  in  one's  wrist.  Similar  pulses  are  found  in  other 
parts  of  the  body,  but  none  so  plain  and  distinct.  We  say 
the  pulse  is  slow  when  the  heart  acts  sluggishly;  or  fast 
when,  from  disease  or  excitement,  its  action  is  heightened. 
The  beats  of  the  pulse  simply  indicate  so  many  impulsions 
of  the  blood  from  the  heart. 

THE   PORES. 

These  have  been  partially  described,  in  the  extract  from 
Youatt  introduced  in  the  section  treating  of  the  skin.  They 
are  the  extremities  of  the  capillaries.  Physiologists  classify 
them  as  of  two  kinds — absorbents  and  exhalants.  The  former 
take  up  and  carry  into  the  circulation  portions  of  the  differ- 
ent fluids  and  gases  with  which  they  come  in  contact  on  the 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  01  THE  HORSE. 


49 


surface  of  the  skin.  The  exhalants  throw  out  fluids  to  the 
surface :  an  oily  matter,  to  lubricate  the  skin  and  keep  it 
soft  and  pliant;  and  moisture — a  not  inconsiderable  quan- 
tity of  water — whose  purpose,  although  not  clearly  demon- 
strated, is  probably  to  dilute  and  accelerate  the  flow  of  the 
unctuous  secretions. 

THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM. 


SECTIONAL  VIEW  OF  THE  HEAD. 

The  cut  represents  a  section  of  the  head,  and  shows  not 
only  the  location  of  the  difi^erent  parts  of  the  brain,  with  the 
cranial  bones,  which  inclose  it,  but  also  gives  the  anatomy 
of  that  entire  member,  and  of  the  neck.  It  will  be  found 
exceedingly  useful  for  reference,  in  connection  with  several 
other  sections  of  this  work. 

a  The  nasal  bone,  or  bone  of  the  nose. 

b  The  frontal  bone.    The  cavities  or  cells  beneath  are  called  the  frontal  sin- 
uses. 
c  The  crest  or  ridge  of  the  parietal  bones. 

d  The  tentorium,  or  bony  separation  between  the  cerebrum  and  cerebellum. 
e  The  occipital  bone. 


^^ 


50  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

/  The  ligament  of  the  neck — the  whit-leather,  or  pack-wax — by  which  the  head 
is  chiefly  supported. 

ff  The  atlas,  sustaining  or  carrying :  the  first  bone  of  the  neck. 

A  The  dentata  {tooth-like)  or  second  bone  of  the  neck. 

i  The-  cuneiform,  or  wedge-shaped  process,  or  base  of  the  occipital  bone.  Be- 
tween it  and  the  other  portion  of  the  occipital  bone  «,  lies  the  great  for- 
amen, or  aperture,  through  which  the  prolongation  of  the  brain — the 
spinal  marrow — issues  from  the  skull. 

k  The  sphenoid  {wedge-like)  bone,  with  its  cavities. 

1  The  ethmoid  {sieve-Uke)  bone,  with  its  cells. 

m  The  cerebrum,  or  brain,  with  the  appearance  of  its  cortical  and  medullary 

substance. 
n  The  cerebellum,  or  little  brain,  with  its  beautiful  arborescent  appearance. 

0  A  portion  of  the  central  medullary  {marrow-like)  substance  of  the  brain, 

and  the  prolongation  of  it  under  the  name  of  the  crus  cerebri  {leg  of  the 
brain),  and  from  which  many  of  the  nerves  take  their  origin. 

•p  The  medulla  oblongata — the  prolongation  of  the  brain  after  the  medullary 
substance  of  the  cerebrum  and  cerebellum  have  united,  and  forming  the 
commencement  of  the  spinal  marrow.  The  columnar  appearance  of  this 
portion  of  the  brain  is  represented,  and  the  origins  of  the  respiratory 
nerves. 

q  The  spinal  marrow  extending  through  a  canal  in  the  center  of  the  bones  of 
the  neck,  back,  and  loins,  to  the  extremities  of  the  tail,  and  from  which 
the  nerves  of  feeling  and  of  motion,  that  supply  every  part  of  the  frame, 
except  the  head,  arise. 

r    The  septum  narium,  or  cartilaginous  division  between  the  nostrils. 

»  The  same  cut  off  at  the  lower  part,  to  show  the  spongy  turbinated  {turban- 
shaped)  bones  filling  the  cavity  of  the  nostril. 

t    The  palate. 

u  The  molar  teeth,  or  grinders. 

•  The  inferior  maxillary  bone,  containing  the  incisor  teeth,  or  nippers.  The 
canine  tooth,  or  tush,  is  concealed  by  the  tongue. 

v  The  posterior  maxillary,  or  lower  jaw,  writh  its  incisors. 

z  The  lips. 

y  The  tongue. 

2  A  portion  of  the  os  hyoides,  or  bone  of  the  tongue,  Uke  a  Greek  u,  v. 

1  The  thyroid  {helmetr-shaped)  cartilage  of  the  larynx,  inclosing  and  shielding 

the  neighboring  parta. 

2  The  epiglottis,  or  covering  of  the  glottis,  or  aperture  of  the  wind-pipe. 

3  The   arytenoid    {funnel-shaped)   cartilage   of  the   larynx,   having   between 

them  the  aperture  leading  into  the  trachea  or  windpipe. 

4  One  of  the  chordae  vocales,  cords  or  ligaments  concerned  in  the  formation 

of  the  voice. 
'    6  The  sacculus  laryngis,  sac  or  ventricle  of  the  larynx,  or  ihroatj  to  modulate 
the  voice. 

6  The  trachea,  or  windpipe,  with  its  different  rings. 

7  The  soft  palate  at  the  back  of  the  mouth,  so  constructed  as  almost  to  pre- 

vent the  possibility  of  vomiting. 

8  The  opening  from  the  back  part  of  the  mouth  into  the  nostril 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.         51 

9  The  cartilage  covering  the  entrance  into  the  eustachian  tube,  or  communi- 
cation between  the  mouth  and  internal  part  of  the  ear. 

10  The  oesophagus,  or  gullet. 

11  The  cricoid  {ring-like)  cartilage  of  the  larynx,  below  and  behind  the  thyroid. 

12  Muscle  of  the  neck,  covered  by  the  membrane  of  the  back  part  of  the  mouth. 

All  the  agents  concerned  in  the  existence  and  movements 
of  animal  life  would  be  utterly  inert  and  powerless,  had  they 
not  been  combined  with  some  motive  power  to  excite  and 
regulate  their  action.  Such  a  motive  powder  the  Creator  has 
provided  in  that  wonderful  organization  the  nervous  system, 
consisting  of  the  brain,  the  spinal  cord,  and  the  nerves. 

There  are  many  things  difficult  to  be  understood  in  regard 
to  the  nervous  system  and  its  operations.  Some  of  these  are 
too  deep  for  the  wisest  and  most  learned  to  fathom,  much 
less  to  satisfactorily  explain.  But  the  careful  reader  can  get 
a  good  general  idea  of  the  structure  and  offices  of*  its  differ- 
ent parts  by  means  of  the  descriptions  which  we  shall  give, 
aided  by  the  foregoing  cut.  Perhaps  we  can  do  no  better 
than  to  quote  from  Youatt : 

"The  brain  of  the  horse  corresponds  with  the  cavity  in 
which  it  is  placed.  It  is* a  flattened  oval.  It  is  divided  into 
two  parts,  one  much  larger  than  the  other — the  cerebrum^  or 
hrain^  (see  m,  in  cut,)  and  the  cerebellum,  or  little  brain,,  (see 
n,)  In  the  human  being,  the  cerebrum  is  above  the  cere- 
bellum ;  in  the  quadruped,  it  is  below ;  and  yet  in  both  they 
retain  the  same  relative  situation.  [This  arises  from  the  fact 
that  in  man  the  head  surmounts  the  body  perpendicularly, 
while  in  quadrupeds  its  position  is  relatively  slanting.] 

"He  who  for  the  first  time  examines  the  brain  of  the 
horse  will  be  struck  with  its  comparatively  diminutive  size. 
The  human  being  is  not,  generally  speaking,  more  than  one- 
half  or  one-third  of  the  size  and  weight  of  the  horse,*  yet 
the  brain  of  the  biped  is  twice  as  large  and  as  heavy  as  that 
of  the  quadruped.  If  it  had  been  the  brain  of  the  ox  that 
had  been  here  exposed,  instead  of  that  of  the  horse,  it  would 


*  This  is  a  singularly  weak  statement  for  so  careful  a  writer.    The  weight  of 
the  horse's  body  is  at  least  eight  times  that  of  a  man's. 


52  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

not  have  been  of  half  the  bulk  of  that  of  the  horse.  If  the 
dog  had  been  the  subject,  it  would  have  been  very  consider- 
ably larger,  comparing  the  general  bulk  of  each  animal. 
This  is  singular.  The  human  brain  is  largest  in  comparative 
bulk;  then  the  brain  of  the  dog,  the  horse,  the  ox.  Thus 
would  they  be  classed  in  the  order  of  intelligence. 

"  When  the  brain  is  cut,  it  is  found  to  be  composed  of  two 
substances  very  unlike  in  appearance,  (see  m,  in  cut;)  one, 
principally  on  the  outside,  gray  or  ash-colored,  and  therefore 
called  the  cortical  (bark  like),  from  its  situation,  and  cineritious, 
(ashen),  from  its  color;  and  the  other,  lying  deeper  in  the 
brain,  and  from  its  pulpy  nature,  called  the  medullary  sub- 
stance. Although  placed  in  opposition  with  each  other,  and 
seemingly  mingling,  they  never  run  into  the  same  mass,  or 
change  by  degrees  into  one  another,  but  are  essentially  dis- 
tinct in  construction  as  well  as  in  function. 

"  The  medullary  portion  is  connected  with  the  nervous  sys- 
tem. The  nerves  are  prolongations  of  it,  and  are  concerned 
in  the  discharge  of  all  the  offices  of  life.  They  give  motion 
and  energy  to  the  limbs,  the  heart,  the  lungs,  the  stomach, 
and  every  part  connected  with  life.  They  are  the  medium 
through  which  sensation  is  conveyed ;  and  they  supply  the 
mind  with  materials  to  think  and  work  upon. 

"  The  cineritious  part  has  a  different  appearance,  and  is  dif- 
ferently constituted.  Some  have  supposed,  and  with  much 
appearance  of  truth,  that  it  is  the  residence  of  the  mind, 
receiving  tbe  impressions  that  are  conveyed  to  the  brain  by 
the  sensitive  nerves,  and  directing  the  operation  and  action 
of  those  which  give  motion  to  the  limbs.  In  accordance  with 
this,  it  happens  that,  where  superior  intelligence  is  found,  the 
cineritious  portion  prevails,  and  where  little  beside  brute 
strength  and  animal  appetite  exist,  the  medullary  portion  is 
enlarged.  There  is,  comparing  bulk  with  bulk,  less  of  the 
medullary  substance  in  the  horse  than  in  the  ox,  and  in  the 
dog  than  in  the  horse.  The  additional  bulk  of  brain  is  com- 
posed of  cineritious  matter. 

"  From  the  medullary  substance,  as  already  stated,  proceed 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STKUCTURE  OF  IHE  HORSE.  53 

certain  cords  or  prolongations,  termed  nerves,  by  which  the 
animal  is  enabled  to  receive  impressions  from  surrounding 
objects,  and  to  connect  himself  with  them,  and  also  to  pos- 
sess many  pleasurable  or  painful  sensations.  One  of  them 
is  spread  over  the  membrane  of  the  nose,  and  gives  the  sense 
of  smell;  another  expands  on  the  back  of  the  eye,  and  the 
faculty  of  sight  is  gained;  and  a  third  goes  to  the  internal  ' 

structure  of  the  ear,  and  the  animal  is  conscious  of  sound. 
Other  nerves,  proceeding  to  different  parts,  give  the  faculty 
of  motion,  while  an  equally  important  one  bestows  the  power 
of  feeling. 

"  One  division  of  nerves,  (see  A,  in  cut,)  springing  from 
a  prolongation  of  the  brain,  and  yet  within  the  skull,  wan- 
ders to  different  parts  of  the  frame  for  important  purposes 
connected  with  respiration  or  breathing.  The  act  of  breath- 
ing is  essential  to  life,  and  were  it  to  cease,  the  animal  would 
die.  These  are  nerves  of  involuntary  motion ;  so  that,  whether 
he  is  awake  or  asleep,  conscious  of  it  or  not,  the  lungs  heave, 
and  life  is  supported. 

"Lastly,  from  the  spinal  cord,  (see  q,  in  cut,)  a  further 
prolongation  of  the  brain,  and  running  through  a  cavity  iii 
the  bone  of  the  neck,  back,  and  loins,  and  extending  to  the  '^ 

very  tip  of  the  tail,  other  nerves  are  given  off  at  certain  in- 
tervals. The  spinal  cord  is  combined  of  six  distinct  columns 
or  rods,  running  through  its  whole  length,  three  on  either 
side.  The  two  upper  columns  proceed  from  those  tracks  of 
the  brain  devoted  to  sensation.  Numerous  distinct  fibers 
spring  abruptly  from  the  column,  which  collect  together, 
and,  passing  through  a  little  ganglion  or  enlargement,  (an 
enlargement  of  a  nervous  cord  is  called  a  ganglion,)  become 
a  nerve  of  sensation.  From  the  lower  or  inner  side — a  pro- 
longation of  the  track  devoted  to  motion — ^proceed  other 
fibers,  which  also  collect  gradually  together,  and  form  a 
nervous  cord,  giving  the  power  of  motion.  Beyond  the 
ganglion  the  two  unite  and  form  a  perfect  spinal  nerve, 
possessing  the  power  of  both  sensation  and  motion ;  and  the 
fibers  of  the  two  columns  proceed  to  their  destinations,  en- 


54  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

veloped  in  the  same  sheath,  and,  apparently,  one  nerve. 
Each  portion,  however,  continues  to  be  wrapped  in  its  own 
membrane.  They  are  united,  yet  distinct ;  they  constitute 
one  nerve,  yet  neither  their  substance  nor  their  office  is 
confounded. 

"All  these  nerves  are  organs  of  sensation  and  motion 
alone ;  but  there  are  others  whose  origin  seems  to  be  outside 
of  and  below  the  brain.  These  are  the  sympathetic,  so  called 
from  their  union  and  sympathy  with  all  the  others,  and 
identified  with  life  itself.  They  proceed  from  a  small  gang- 
lion, or  enlargement,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  neck,  or  from 
a  collection  of  little  ganglia  in  the  abdomen.  They  go  to 
the  heart,  and  it  beats;  and  to  the  stomach,  and  it  digests. 
They  form  a  net-work  around  each  blood-vessel,  and  the 
current  flows  on;  they  surround  the  very  minutest  vessels, 
and  the  frame  is  nourished  and  built  up ;  they  are  destitute 
of  sensation,  and  they  are  perfectly  beyond  the  control  of 
the  will." 

A  later  English  writer  *  gives  the  following  clear  and  com- 
prehensive summary  of  the  divisions  of  the  nervous  system : 

"  In  the  horse,  as  in  all  the  vertebrata,  [those  animals  sup- 
plied with  a  vertebra,  or  back-bone,]  the  nervous  system  is 
made  up  of  the  following  parts :  1.  The  ganglia,  which  are 
intended  to  subserve  what  are  called  the  reflex  actions  of 
the  organs  of  locomotion,  etc.,  and  which  occupy  the  whole 
length  of  the  spinal  cord,  one  on  each  side.  2.  The  respiratory 
ganglia,  situated  higher  up,  toward  the  brain,  constituting  the 
part  called  medulla  oblongata,  (see  p,  in  cut,)  and  placed  in  su- 
perintendence over  the  functions  of  respiration,  mastication, 
and  deglutition.  3.  A  series  of  ganglia,  controlling  the  organs 
of  special  sense,  [the  sense  of  sight,  of  hearing,  of  taste,  etc.,] 
situated  at  the  base  of  the  brain.  4.  The  cerebellum,  which 
seems  especially  intended  to  combine  and  balance  the  several 
muscular  actions  of  the  body.  5.  The  cerebrum,  which  is 
the  seat  of  intelligence  and  will.     6.  The  sympathetic  sys- 

*  J.  H.  Walsh  (Stonehenge). 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  55 

tern  of  ganglia,  which  specially  controls  the  vital  organs  of 
circulation,  digestion,  and  excretion.  The  first  five  divisions 
are  generally  included  under  the  head  of  the  nervous  system 
of  animal  life,  the  last  being  considered  to  be  peculiar  to 
organic  life." 

Before  passing  to  the  next  section,  we  must  not  forget  to 
mention  the  membranes  of  the  brain.  These  are  three  in 
number,  each  completely  investing  it.  The  outer  or  upper 
one  is  called  the  dura  mater,  and  is  fibrous  in  texture,  and  quite 
strong.  The  middle  one,  called  arachnoid,  is  a  serous  mem- 
ber of  the  ordinary  character.  The  inner  one,  denominated 
the  pia  mater,  is  full  of  vessels,  and  is  by  far  the  most  tender. 
Being  next  the  brain,  however,  it  is  less  exposed  to  injury 
than  the  others.  The  pia  mater  penetrates  into  every  depres- 
sion, lines  every  ventricle,  and  clothes  every  portion  of  the 
brain. 

RESPIRATORY   ORGANS. 

The  important  function  of  respiration  is  carried  on  through 
the  lungs  and  the  nasal  cavities,  and  the  tubes  by  which  these 
are  brought  into  communication,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
inspiratory  muscles  and  the  system  of  respiratory  nerves. 

The  lungs  are  invested  by  the  pleura,  a  serous  membrane,, 
which  is  reflected  or  doubled  back  upon  the  walls  of  the 
thorax,  or  chest.  They  consist  of  two  conical,  spongy  bodies, 
called  the  right  and  left  lobes  of  the  lungs.  They  are  di- 
vided from  each  other  by  a  doubling  of  the  pleura  and  a 
space,  called  the  mediastinum.,  which  is  occupied  by  the  heart, 
great  blood-vessels,  nerves,  and  glands.  The  right  lobe  is 
noticeably  the  larger,  by  which  arrangement  the  lungs  are 
better  adapted  to  the  form  of  the  chest,  and  enabled  more 
perfectly  to  fill  it.  In  consequence  of  their  extremely  cellu* 
lar  or  porous  structure,  they  are  capable  of  great  expansion 
and  contraction  during  the  operation  of  breathing. 

The  substance  of  which  the  lungs  are  mainly  composed  is 
the  pulmonary  tissue,  termed  the  parenchyma.  This,  in  the 
healthful  subject,  has  a  beautiful  pale-rose  color.    It  is  very 


56  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

delicate,  yet  resists  external  violence  with  sufficient  strength 
as  not  to  be  easily  broken.  When  minutely  examined,  it  is 
found  to  be  composed  of  a  countless  number  of  very  small, 
irregularly-shaped  compartments,  called  lobules,  each  en- 
tirely distinct,  and  all  without  any  communication  one  with 
another.  What  is  known  as  broken  wind  is  occasioned  bj 
the  rupture  of  the  walls  of  some  of  these  little  compart- 
ments. Each  lobule  receives  one  of  the  terminating  branches 
of  a  bronchial  tube,  and  is  again  broken  up  into  a  cluster 
of  air-cells,  on  the  walls  of  which  the  capillary  branches  of 
the  pulmonary  arteries  and  veins  are  spread  out.  The  in- 
numerable air-cells  are  lined  with  a  thin,  attenuated  mem- 
brane, through  which  the  blood,  in  passing  through  the 
lungs,  appropriates  the  oxygen,  the  life-giving  principle  of 
the  air,  and  gives  off  the  poisonous  carbonic  acid  gas  which 
the  venous  circulation  has  brought  back  from  all  parts  of 
the  system.  Carbonic  acid  gas  is  highly  destructive  to  ani- 
mal life,  and  is  that  element  which  chiefly  makes  the  ex- 
haled breath  so  peculiarly  offensive. 

The  nasal  cavities  subserve  the  purposes  of  respiration,  by 
modifying  the  condition  of  the  impure  air,  so  as  that  it  may 
be  taken  into  the  delicate  air-cells  of  the  lungs  without  in- 
jury. They  warm  the  air,  if  it  is  too  cold ;  they  moisten  it, 
if  it  is  too  dry.  In  the  horse,  the  nostrils  are  remarkable  as 
furnishing  the  sole  means  of  admitting  air  to  the  lungs,  such 
being  the  formation  of  his  soft  palate  that  breathing  through 
the  mouth  is  impossible ;  yet  he  is  enabled,  by  considerable 
effort,  to  expel  the  air  through  the  mouth  in  the  operation 
of  coughing.  The  nostrils  are  lined  with  what  anatomists 
designate  the  Schneiderian  membrane,  whose  appearance,  and 
especially  its  color,  is  an  invaluable  test  for  detecting  the 
presence,  and  tracing  the  course,  of  fever  in  the  system. 

From  the  nostrils  the  air  passes  first  into  the  larynx,  or 
throat;  thence  into  the  trachea,  or  windpipe;  and,  finally, 
through  the  bronchial  tubes  into  the  lungs. 

Besides  its  services  in  respiration,  the  larynx  (see  4  and  5 
in  last  cut)  forms  the  vocal  sounds  uttered  by  different  ani- 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  57 

mals,  as  well  as  those  produced  by  the  human  voice.  In  the 
horse,  however,  these  vocal  sounds  are  few,  so  that  this  func- 
tion is  not  an  important  one.  The  larynx  is  situated  imme- 
diately behind  and  below  the  nasal  cavities.  It  consists  of 
five  strong  cartilages,  united  together  by  ligaments.  One  of 
these  cartilages  is  that  remarkable  little  valve-like  appendage 
called  the  epiglottis  (see  2  in  cut).  This  somewhat  resembles 
a  heart  in  shape,  and  is  so  attached  that,  when  the  animal 
swallows,  it  shuts  downward  and  backward,  so  as  to  entirely 
close  the  opening  to  the  larynx.  Thus  the  food  and  water, 
in  their  passage  to  the  stomach,  are  prevented  from  entering 
the  lungs,  but  go  onward  into  the  oesophagus,  or  gullet  (see 
10  in  cut),  after  which  the  elastic  muscles  of  the  epiglottis  in 
an  instant  throw  it  back  to  its  original  position,  and  the 
windpipe  is  open  again. 

Next  below  the  larynx  comes  the  trachea,  or  windpipe, 
(see  6  in  cut,)  which  is  a  flexible  tube,  made  up  of  about  fifty 
incomplete,  cartilaginous  rings,  connected  together  by  a  strong, 
elastic  membrane.  It  terminates  in  the  bronchi,  or  two 
bronchial  tubes,  of  which  the  right  is  the  more  capacious, 
corresponding  with  the  difterence  in  size  of  this  lobe  of  the 
lungs.  These  tubes  again  divide  and  subdivide,  like  the 
branches  of  a  tree,  into  lesser  tubes,  still  called  bronchial, 
which  finally  open  into  the  air-cells  of  the  lungs.  As  they 
thus  continue  to  divide,  they  diminish  in  size,  of  course,  until 
at  last  their  diameter  is  only  the  one  twenty -fifth  part  of  an 
inch. 

The  philosophy  of  respiration  we  have  already  explained, 
in  connection  with  the  circulation.  The  lungs  operate  on 
the  same  principle  as  a  pair  of  bellows.  By  the  action  of 
the  inspiratory  muscles — situated  in  the  thorax  and  abdo- 
men— the  cavity  of  the  chest  is  expanded,  when  the  air 
rushes  in  to  fill  the  vacuum.  The  muscles  then  contract,  and 
the  air,  laden  with  its  foul  gases,  is  forcibly  expelled.  They 
are  under  the  control  of  the  will  only  to  a  limited  degree. 


68  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


THE   SALIVARY  GLANDS — SECRETION  AND   EXCRETION  DEFINED. 

"A  gland  may  be  defined  to  be  an  organ  whose  office  it  is 
to  separate  from  the  blood  some  peculiar  substance,  which  is 
poured  out  through  an  excretory  duct,  whose  internal  surface 
is  continuous  with  the  mucous  membrane  or  skin. 

"By  secretion  is  understood  the  process  of  separation  of 
various  matters  from  the  blood,  the  term  being  also  applied 
to  the  products  of  the  process,  such  as  saliva,  bile,  etc.,  which 
are  commonly  known  as  secretions.  These  are  all  removed 
from  the  blood  for  one  of  two  purposes ;  first,  in  order  to  be 
employed  for  some  ulterior  object  in  the  various  processes 
going  on  in  the  body,  either  for  its  own  preservation  or  that 
of  others ;  or,  secondly,  as  being  injurious  to  its  welfare,  and, 
therefore,  to  be  discarded." 

It  has  been  customary  to  distinguish  this  function  accord- 
ing as  it  has  for  its  object  one  or  the  other  of  the  purposes 
above  indicated.  By  this  distinction,  the  term  secretion  is 
limited  to  the  former  action,  while  the  latter  receives  the 
name  of  excretion.  These  are  the  senses  in  which  the  terms 
are  used  in  this  work. 

The  throat  is  a  part  of  the  horse's  frame  that  is  plentifully 
supplied  with  glands.  It  has  three  sets  of  these,  throwing 
out  their  secretions  of  saliva  to  form  the  spittle  of  the  mouth. 
In  the  horse,  although  there  is  somewhat  less  of  this  dis- 
charge than  in  the  human  being,  its  quantity  is  surprisingly 
great,  not  less  than  four  or  five  gallons  in  every  twenty-four 
hours.  The  principal  use  of  the  saliva  is  to  moisten  the  food 
during  the  proQCSs  of  mastication. 

The  most  important  of  the  salivary  glands  is  the  parotid. 
This  is  placed  in  the  hollow  that  extends  from  the  root  of 
the  ear  to  the  angle  of  the  lower  jaw-bone.  It  is  composed 
of  numerous  small  glands,  uniting  in  one  common  duct,  that 
discharges  its  contents  into  the  mouth  opposite  the  second 
jaw  tooth.  The  quantity  of  fluid  secreted  by  the  parotid 
gland  alone  is  estimated  to  be  not  less  than  one  pint  per 
hour,  and,  during  mastication,  nearly  twice  as  much.     It  is 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  59 

generally  affected  in  all  throat  diseases,  and  in  colds  is  nearly 
always  found  swollen,  hot,  and  tender. 

Occupying  the  space  between  the  two  bones  of  the  under- 
jaw,  is  found  the  set  of  submaxillary  glands,  which  also 
empty  through  one  common  channel  into  the  mouth,  at  the 
roots  of  the  tongue,  and  a  short  distance  from  the  front  teeth. 
In  severe  colds,  the  submaxillary  gland  often  enlarges,  the 
little  kernels  of  which  it  is  made  up  swelling  so  as  to  be  dis- 
tinctly felt  when  pressed  upon  by  the  hand. 

The  sublingual  gland  is  the  smallest  of  the  three.  It  is 
situated  between  the  middle  of  the  tongue  and  the  lower 
jaw,  and  opens  into  the  same  part  of  the  mouth  as  the  sub- 
maxillary, by  a  number  of  minute  orifices  under  the  tongue, 
whose  terminations  resemble  little  folds  of  skin,  or  tiny  blad- 
ders. These  sometimes  become  inflamed,  and  then  have  the 
appearance  of  little  sores,  or  ulcers.  This  is  soon  corrected 
by  the  efforts  of  Nature  alone,  in  nearly  all  cases ;  but,  if  it 
should  be  thought  best  to  attempt  any  treatment,  the  horse's 
mouth  may  be  washed  with  the  solution  of  golden  seal,  or 
chlorate  of  potash. 

Besides  these  glands,  there  are  smaller  ones  in  every  part 
of  the  mouth,  the  cheeks,  the  tongue,  the  lips,  and  several 
other  portions  of  the  throat.  They  all  pour  out  secretions, 
which  enter  into  the  composition  of  the  saliva. 

THE   STOMACH  AND   INTESTINAL   ORGANS. 

Although  not  really  included  within  this  division  of  the 
horse's  anatomy,  the  oesophagus,  or  gullet,  will  be  most  ap- 
propriately considered  in  connection  with  the  digestive  appa- 
ratus. It  is  a  funnel-shaped  tube,  or  bag,  of  muscular  struc- 
ture, and  is  lined  with  mucous  membrane — the  same  in 
general  character  as  that  which  is  spread  over  the  inside  of 
the  mouth  and  nose.  It  extends  from  the  pharynx — which 
is  simply  a  continuation  of  the  extreme  back  part  of  the 
mouth — to  the  stomach,  in  its  course  traversing  the  whole 
length  of  the  chest,  and  passing  through  an  opening  in  the 
diaphragm,  or  midriff.     It   is,  at  first,  placed  behind  the 


60  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

larynx,  and,  with  reference  to  the  trachea,  is  situated  to  the 
left. 

The  digestive  organs  of  the  horse  are  so  important,  as  re- 
gards both  their  aggregate  size  and  their  functions,  and  are 
so  extremely  liable  to  sudden  and  severe  attacks  of  disease, 
that  every  farmer  and  horseman  should  be  at  especial  pains 
to  get  a  correct  notion  of  their  structure,  and  the  offices  which 
they  severally  perform.  The  reader  of  this  section  will  de- 
rive material  assistance  in  fixing  its  descriptions  in  his  mind 
by  turning  to  Chapter  XIII,  and  carefully  studying,  in  con- 
nection with  our  descriptions,  the  representations  of  the 
stomach  and  the  bowels,  which  are  there  introduced.  To 
aid  him  in  this  we  shall  frequently  refer  him  to  those  cuts. 

The  stomach  of  the  horse  is  very  small,  when  compared 
with  the  great  bulk  of  his  entire  body,  or  with  the  relative 
size  of  the  same  organ  in  man.  Its  average  capacity  is  about 
three  gallons ;  while  the  stomach  of  man,  whose  weight  is 
hardly  one-eighth  of  that  of  the  horse,  contains  frd^uently 
three  quarts.  As  the  vegetable  diet,  however,  upon  which 
the  horse  subsists,  yields  a  smaller  proportion  of  nutritive 
matter  than  animal  food,  and  that  proportion  with  greater 
difficulty,  it  is  necessary  that  the  animal  should  be  provided 
with  a  digestive  apparatus  of  greater  extent  and  perfect 
efficiency.  What  seems  to  be  wanting  in  the  stomach  of  the 
horse,  we  accordingly  find  made  up  in  the  formation  of  the 
intestines,  which  are  long,  large,  and  complicated.  We  will 
consider  them  presently. 

Two  openings  and  two  sacs  form  the  features  which  one 
would  be  most  likely  to  notice  first,  in  examining  the  stom- 
ach. The  upper  opening  is  the  connection  with  the  oesopha- 
gus. It  is  called  the  cardiac  orifice,  and  in  the  cut  of  the 
stomach  is  shown  at  b.  Youatt  describes  this  entrance  of 
the  oesophagus  into  the  stomach  as  follows :  "The  oesopha- 
gus enters  in  a  somewhat  curved  direction.  It  runs  obliquely 
through  the  muscular  and  cuticular  coats  for  some  distance, 
and  then  its  fibers  arrange  themselves  around  the  opening 
into  the  stomach.     Close  observation  has  shown  that  they 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  61 

arrange  themselves  into  segments  of  circles,  interlacing  each 
other,  and,  by  their  contraction,  plainly  and  forcibly  closing 
the  opening,  so  that  regurgitation  of  the  food  (vomiting)  is 
almost  impossible." 

The  other  opening  is  that  which  communicates  with  the 
intestines.  It  is  called  the  pylorus,  (literally,  door-keepers,) 
or  pyloric  orifice.  In  the  cut  it  is  imperfectly  represented  at  /. 
We  quote  again  from  Youatt :  "At  the  lower,  or  pyloric 
orifice,  the  muscles  are  also  increased  in  number  and  in  size. 
These  are  arranged  in  the  same  manner  (as  around  the  car- 
diac orifice),  with  sufficient  power  to  resist  the  pressure  of 
the  diaphragm,  and  retain  the  contents  of  the  stomach  until 
they  have  undergone  the  digestive  process." 

Similar  names  have  been  given  the  two  sacs — the  cardiac 
and  pyloric.  The  division  of  the  stomach  into  these  two 
parts  is  not  uniformly  marked  in  difterent  horses,  biit  is  gen- 
erally indicated,  more  or  less  plainly,  by  a  constriction.  It 
is  shown  in  the  cut  by  d  d,  the  jagged  and  heavily  shaded 
line  between  c  c  and  e  e.  The  cardiac  sac  is  simply  a  reser- 
voir of  the  food,  while  the  pyloric  is  the  real  digestive 
stomach. 

The  stomach  is  composed  of  three  coatings.  The  outer 
coat  is  a  serous  membrane,  and  simply  a  continuation  of  the 
peritoneum,  which  lines  the  entire  abdominal  cavity.  Next 
to  this  is  the  muscular,  or  middle  coating,  consistiig  of  two 
sets  of  fibers  crossing  each  other  transversely,  which  give  to 
it  a  considerable  power  of  contraction  and  expansion.  By 
this  means  a  gentle  vibratory  motion  is  imparted  to  the  stom- 
ach, and  all  its  contents  are  properly  mingled  together  and 
carried  forward.  The  internal  coating  is  not  the  same  in  the 
two  sacs  of  the  stomach.  In  the  cardiac  sac  it  is  commonly 
called  the  ciiticular  (skin-like),  or  insensible  coating  (see  c  c  in 
cut);  in  the  pyloric,  tbe  mucous  or  villous  (velvet)  coating 
(see  ee  in  cut). 

The  cuticular  lining  is  a  continuation  of  that  of  the  oeso- 
phagus. It  is  whitish  brown  in  color,  tough,  and  compara- 
tively dry.     It  covers  only  about  one-third  of  the  internal 


v\t 


62  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

area  of  the  stomach — in  the  upper  part,  of  course,  next  the 
gullet.  In  structure  it  is  web-like,  with  a  somewhat  loose 
attachment  to  the  muscular  membrane,  from  which  it  maj 
be  easily  separated  after  death.  When  washed  and  cleaned, 
it  has  the  appearance  of  gauze,  or  fine  net-work.  The  vil- 
lous coating  of  the  stomach  is  of  a  brownish  red,  marbled 
with  lighter  tints  of  the  same  color,  and  possesses  a  delicate 
texture,  so  as  to  be  easily  torn;  yet  it  has  an  exceedingly 
limited  degree  of  sensibility,  since,  were  it  otherwise,  many 
common  articles  of  the  horse's  fogd  could  not  be  digested 
without  great  pain.  Numerous  little  capillary  tubes  have 
their  outlet  upon  this  membrane,  and  pour  out  a  peculiar 
secretion,  which  continues  the  softening  process  already  be- 
gun in  the  mouth  by  the  saliva.  This  is  the  gastric  fluid.  It 
acts  not  only  as  a  solvent,  but  also  contributes  other  mate- 
rials—especially what  is  called  pepsine — that  greatly  facilitate 
digestion. 

By  these  agencies  the  food  is  converted  into  the  substance 
called  chyme,  which  passes  out  through  the  pylorus  into  the 
intestines,  there  to  be  still  further  digested,  its  nutritive  par- 
ticles taken  up  and  transferred  to  the  general  circulation, 
and  its  waste  matter  duly  avoided. 

The  intestines,  to  which  we  have  now  come,  in  the  natural 
progress  of  our  descriptions,  constitute  a  hollow  tube,  with 
many  windings  and  convolutions,  nearly  ninety  feet  long  in 
an  average-sized  horse.  In  diameter  the  tube  varies  exceed- 
ingly at  different  parts.  The  intestines  have  three  coat- 
ings— the  same,  indeed,  as  the  stomach,  with  only  this  difter- 
ence,  that  they  nowhere  exhibit  the  cuticular  lining.  These 
membranes,  however,  are  not  precisely  identical  in  their  sev- 
eral arrangements  and  uses  throughout  their  entire  length. 

The  muscular  coating  of  the  intesjbines  is  composed  of  two 
sets  of  fibers,  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles,  and  each 
running  transversely  with  the  line  of  the  bowels.  In  certain 
intestinal  diseases  of  the  horse,  it  is  subject  to  fearful  co^itrac- 
tions,  producing  what  are  called  strictures.  In  the  mucous 
or  internal  membrane  are  seated  myriads  of  little  capillary 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STKUCTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  63 

vessels,  which  have  their  mouths  upon  its  surface,  and  are 
constantly  taking  up  the  nutritive  extracts  of  the  digested 
food  and  conveying  them  into  the  blood.  The  point  of  the 
finest  needle  could  not  be  put  down  anywhere  upon  the 
mucous  surface  on  which  these  vessels  are  distributed  with- 
out resting  upon  one  or  more  of  these  little  mouths.  From 
the  effects  of  severe  ill-usage,  as  well  as  of  certain  diseases, 
these  absorbents  sometimes  cease  to  act.  Should  they  remain 
inactive,  the  horse,  with  his  supply  of  nutrition  thus  cut  off, 
J  8  soon  reduced  to  a  famishing  condition. 

Only  two  natural  divisions  are  found  in  the  alimentary 
canal.  These  are  the  large  and  small  intestines.  Anatomists, 
however,  have  divided  each  of  these  parts  into  three  sections. 
This  subdivision  is  particularly  arbitrary  in  regard  to  the 
small  intestines,  between  whose  three  sections  it  is  impossible 
to  discover  any  defined  boundary  lines.  Hence  in  "the  cut 
of  these  organs,  which  appears  in  Chapter  XTTI,  we  have 
not  attempted  to  index  the  different  portions  of  the  small 
bowels.  Their  continuous  series  of  convolutions,  however, 
are  represented  very  naturally  and  plainly  at  b  b. 

The  small  intestines  occupy  rather  more  than  two-thirds 
of  the  whole  length  of  the  alimentary  duct,  being  between 
sixty  and  seventy  feet  in  length.  From  their  comparatively 
small  diameter,  however,  they  will  contain  only  a  little  more 
than  one-half  as  much  as  the  large  bowels.  When  fully  ex- 
panded, they  will  hold  about  eleven  gallons ;  the  others  about 
nineteen.  Adding  to  these  amounts  the  three  gallons  which 
represent  the  measure  of  the  stomach,  and  we  find  that  the 
entire  capacity  of  the  digestive  tube  is  the  enormous  aggre- 
gate of  thirty-three  gallons. 

The  three  sections  into  which  anatomists  divide  the  small 
intestines  have  received  the  names  of  the  duodenum,  jeju- 
num, and  ileum. 

Duodenum  is  a  Latin  word,  signifying  twelve.  It  is  thus 
applied  because  this  part  of  the  bowels  in  man  is  about 
twelve  inches  long.  In  the  horse,  however,  its  length  is 
about  twenty-two  inches.    It  extends  from  the  pyloric  orifice 


64  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

of  the  stomach  to  the  entrance  of  the  biliary  and  pancreatic 
ducts.    (See  a,  in  cut  of  intestines.) 

The  jejunum — from  the  word  jejune,  meaning  empty — is 
so  called  because  it  is  nearly  always  found  quite  empty  after 
the  animal's  death.  This  is  in  consequence  of  the  great 
rapidity  with  which  the  food  passes  through  it.  It  is  of 
smaller  diameter  than  the  duodenum,  and  floats  more  loosely 
in  the  abdomen. 

Last  of  the  small  intestines  comes  the  ileum,  whose  walls 
are  more  muscular  and  thicker  than  those  of  the  jejunum. 

The  ileum  terminates  in  the  ccecum,  or  blind  gut,  the  first 
of  the  large  intestines.  Its  entrance  is  not  into  the  end  of 
this,  as  would  naturally  be  expected,  but  near  the  head,  or 
outlet,  as  shown  in  the  cut,  where  the  ccecum  appears  prom- 
inently at  e.  It  follows,  from  this  arrangement,  that  the  food 
which  passes  into  this  blind  pouch  must  twice  traverse  its 
whole  length,  on  its  return  from  the  closed  end  of  the  pouch 
passing  directly  by  the  mouth  of  the  ileum,  where  it  is  pre- 
vented from  re-entering  by  a  peculiar  valve.  In  the  ccecum, 
as  is  supposed,  the  larger  proportion  of  the  process  of  absorb- 
ing the  nutritive  elements  of  chyle  is  conducted.  Nearly  all 
the  water  which  the  horse  swallows  passes  at  once  into  this 
gut,  without  any  delay  in  the  stomach  and  small  intestines. 

The  ccecum  is  connected  with  the  next  intestine,  the  colon, 
(see  fg  g,  in  cut,)  by  a  considerably  larger  neck  than  with  the 
small  intestine.  The  colon  is  very  large,  and  occupies  two- 
fifths  of  the  abdominal  cavity.  It  is  generally  found  filled 
with  the  alimentary  substances.  Its  contents  are  made  up 
of  the  coarser  parts  of  the  food,  and  become  hard  and  solid. 
Being  deprived  of  nearly  all  its  moisture  and  nutrition,  the 
food  reaches  the  tapering  portion  of  the  colon,  which  is  di- 
vided into  sections,  or  compartments,  by  a  number  of  circular 
bands  surrounding  and  puckering  it.  By  these,  the  foeces  is 
separated  into  balls,  upon  which  they  contract,  their  absorb- 
ents extracting  the  last  remaining  nutrition,  when,  by  a  fur- 
ther contraction,  each  ball  is  forced  onward  to  the  rectum, 
from  whence  it  is  discharged. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STKUGTURE  OF  THE  HORSE.  65 

Terminating  in  the  anu^,  (see  i,  in  cut,)  is  the  next  and  last 
intestine,  the  rectum  (see  A,  in  cut).  Its  name  signifies  straight, 
which  it  much  more  nearly  is  than  the  other  bowels.  It  is 
much  shorter  than  the  colon,  with  less  than  one-fourth  the 
capacity.  As  no  portion  of  digestion  remains  to  be  carried 
on  here,  its  mucous  lining  is  not  exactly  the  same  as  in  the 
other  parts  of  the  intestines,  and  is  entirely  destitute  of  ca- 
pillary absorbents.  The  rectum  forms  a  capacious  reservoir 
for  the  excrement  Until  evacuated.  This  is  retained  in  its 
place  by  the  curious  circular  muscle  at  the  anus,  called  the 
sphincter  muscle,  until  the  horse,  by  a  voluntary  effort,  expels 
it.  By  these  means,  IlTature  prevents  a  constant  and  disagree- 
able dropping  of  the  foeces. 

A  doubling  of  the  peritoneum,  called  the  mesentery,  (see  c, 
in  cut,)  forms  the  means  by  which  the  intestines  are  chiefly 
retained  in  their  relative  positions.  It  includes  within  its 
folds  all  the  intestines,  extending  along  their  entire  length. 
It  is  furnished  with  a  large  artery  and  a  large  vein — each 
called  the  mesenteric — and  is  every- where  filled  with  innum- 
erable small  vessels,  that  supply  the  bowels  with  blood,  and 
others  which  convey  the  extracted  nutriment  from  the  in- 
testines to  the  general  circulation. 

The  omentum,  or  cawl,  (not  shown  in  cut,)  is  a  twice  doubled 
fold  of  the  peritoneum,  thus  consisting  of  four  layers  of  it, 
which  are  placed  between  the  intestines  and  the  sides  of  the 
belly.  By  some  it  has  been  supposed  to  answer  the  purpose 
of  a  soft  padding,  to  relieve  the  violent  concussions  and  pre- 
vent the  injuries  which  rapid  motion  would  be  likely  to  pro- 
duce.   It  is  unusually  short  in  the  horse. 

THE  LIVER. 

In  the  horse  the  liver  undoubtedly  performs  the  same  of- 
fices as  in  the  human  being ;  but  these  are  involved  in  much 
obscurity.  It  secretes  the  bile  from  the  venous  blood,  (sup- 
plied to  it  by  the  portal  circulation,)  which,  if  retained 
therein,  would  poison  the  whole  system;  but  which,  when 
mingled  with  the  chyme,  is  of  the  highest  service  in  the 
5 


QQ  AMEEICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

operations  of  digestion.    It  is  by  far  the  largest  gland  in  the 
whole  body. 

The  liver  is  situated  in  close  contact  with  the  right  side 
of  the  diaphragm,  and  is  divided  into  three  lobes,  with  a 
color  peculiar  to  itself.  Its  structure  is  also  most  peculiar. 
The  bile  is  said  to  be  secreted  in  small  granules  in  this  or- 
gan, called  acine,  from  their  resemblance  to  the  stone  of  cer- 
tain small  berries.  But  when  the  liver  is  cut  open,  we  find 
every  part  of  it  filled  with  little  tubes,  from  which  exudes 
a  thin,  yellow  fluid.  This  is  evidently  the  bile,  but,  as  yet, 
without  the  bitter  qualities,  which  it  probably  acquires  after- 
ward from  the  aeine.  In  most  animals  the  bile  is  stored 
away  in  a  reservoir,  called  the  gall-bladder,  to  be  used  as  oc- 
casion may  require;  but  the  horse  has  no  gall-bladder,  so 
that  the  bile,  as  fast  as  it  is  formed,  flows  directly  into  the 
small  intestines.  These  it  enters  through  the  hepatic  or  bil- 
iary duct,  a  few  inches  below  the  pyloric  orifice.  (See  a,  in 
cut  of  intestines.)  It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the 
work  of  digestion.  The  whole  system  sufters,  if  its  secretion 
and  flow  are  interrupted  or  retarded.  Should  they  cease 
altogether,  not  only  would  the  blood  be  poisoned  by  its  re- 
tention, but  the  animal  would  presently  starve  for  want  of 
nourishment. 

This  organ  is  much  less  subject  to  disease  in  the  horse 
than  in  the  other  domestic  animals,  or  in  man.  It  is  occa- 
sionally the  seat  of  inflanamation  and  some  other  affections, 
whose  symptoms,  however,  are  always  obscure.  Sometimes, 
where  its  functions  are  deranged,  a  condition  is  produced 
much  resembling  that  of  jaundice  in  the  human  being.  This 
may  be  detected,  without  difficulty,  by  the  yellow,  pale  color 
of  the  membrane  lining  the  nose,  and  of  the  lips,  the  mouth, 
the  tongue,  and  especially  by  the  jaundiced  appearance  of 
the  eyes. 

THE  PANCREAS. 

This  is  a  gland  placed  between  the  stomach  and  the  left 
kidney,  being  what  is  commonly  called  the  sweet-bread.     It 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  STRUCTUEE  OF  THE  HORSE.  67 

secretes  the  pancreatic  fluid,  which  flows  through  its  own  duct 
into  the  small  intestines  through  a  valvular  opening  common 
to  the  hepatic  and  pancreatic  ducts.  (See  g,  in  cut  of  the 
stomach.)  In  its  uses,  the  pancreatic  fluid  is  apparently  sim- 
ilar to  the  saliva.  It  contains  a  large  proportion  of  albumen 
^nd  some  free  acid. 

THE   SPLEEN. 

<  This  organ,  often  called  the  melt,  has  no  excretory  duct, 
and,  hence,  can  hardly  be  called  a  gland.  It  lies  along  the 
left  side  of  the  stomach,  to  which  it  adheres  very  closely. 
It  is  long;  at  one  end  broad  and  thick,  and  at  the  other 
tapering  almost  to  a  point.  In  color,  it  is  of  a  bluish  brown. 
It  has  a  spongy  consistency,  being  composed  of  numerous 
cells,  over  which  are  spread  thousands  of  minute  vessels. 
Physiologists  have  not  been  able  to  positively  demonstrate 
the  uses  of  this  organ.  It  is  believed,  however,  "  to  perform 
the  office  of  a  reservoir  for  the  blood  required  by  the  stom- 
ach, with  which  it  is  closely  connected  by  a  set  of  vessels, 
and  also  to  efiect  some  change  in  the  blood  itself." 

THE   URINARY   ORGANS. 

These  embrace  the  kidneys  and  the  bladder,  with  the  dif- 
ferent ducts  and  passages  tl:^t  are  connected  with  them. 

The  kidneys  secrete  the  urine.  They  are  two  glandular 
organs,  whose  function  it  is  to  rid  the  system  of  the  element 
called  urea,  which  is  that  principal  constituent  of  the  urine 
that,  if  not  excreted,  would  act  as  a  deadly  poison  in  the 
blood.  In  the  horse  they  are  of  immense  size,  and  are  sit- 
uated under  the  loins,  the  right  kidney  lying  under  the  liver, 
and  somewhat  forward  of  the  left,  which  is  placed  back  of 
the  stomach.  Each  of  them  is  supplied  with  a  large  artery, 
which  furnishes  blood  not  only  to  the  kidneys  themselves, 
but  likewise  to  all  the  urinary  organs.  Like  all  other  glands, 
the  kidneys  abound  in  minute  capillary  vessels,  where  the 
functions  of  excretion  are  carried  on.  The  amount  as  well 
as  the  quality  of  the  urine  which  they  secrete  varies  greatly, 


68  '        AMEBICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

at  different  times,  in  all  animals,  but  in  the  horse  more,  per- 
haps, than  in  any  other.  As  fast  as  it  is  collected  in  the 
kidneys,  the  urine  passes  down  to  the  bladder  through  the 
long  excretory  ducts,  called  the  ureters,  of  which  there  is  one 
for  each  kidney. 

The  bladder  is  the  oval  membranous  bag,  which  serves 
as  a  reservoir  for  the  urine.  Here  it  accumulates  unjil  its 
quantity  begins  to  occasion  inconvenience,  when  the  animal, 
by  a  voluntary  effort,i  expels  it.  Thus  the  great  annoyance 
of  a  constant  dribbling  is  prevented.  The  bladder  has  three 
coatings.  The  outer  one  is  an  extension  of  the  peritoneum, 
but  covering  only  a  part  of  the  bladder.  Kext  to  this,  and 
upon  the  outside  of  the  bladder  for  a  great  part  of  the  lat- 
ter's  surface,  is  the  muscular  coating,  composed  of  two  sets 
of  muscles,  crossing  each  other  transversely,  as  in  the  intes- 
tines. The  internal  coating  is  the  mucous  membrane,  which 
lines  all  the  hollow  viscera.  The  urethra  has  its  origin  at 
the  neck  of  the  bladder.  It  is  the  canal  which  carries  off 
the  urine.  Its  orifice  can  be  entirely  closed,  at  the  horse's 
pleasure,  by  the  contraction  of  the  powerful  muscle  which 
surrounds  the  neck  of  the  bladder. 

The  urinary  organs  have  a  number  of  diseases.  These 
will  be  fully  described  in  the  proper  place. 

This  completes  all  that  our  limits  will  permit  us  to  pre- 
sent of  the  anatomy  of  the  horse — all,  indeed,  that  the  purpose 
of  our  work  requires.  The  reader  who  wishes  to  pursue  this 
subject  further,  is  referred  to  those  highly  scientific  and  valu- 
able works,  Percival's  "  Anatomy  of  the  Horse,"  and  "  The 
Horse  in  the  Stable  and  the  Field,"  by  J.  H.  Walsh,  (Stone- 
henge.) 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES. 


69 


CHAPTER  in. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES. 


BIG  HEAD  AND  BIG  JAW — EXOSTOSIS   OF  THE  BONES. 

This  disease  has  a  very  pe- 
culiar histor}^.  It  is  exclusively 
American.  In  Europe  it  ap- 
pears to  be  entirely  unknown/ 
The  English  and  French  writ- 
ers upon  the  horse  have* made 
no  mention  of  it  whatever,  a 
circumstance  which  could 
hardly  have  occurred  had  the 
disease  been  known  to  them, 
or  even  to  the  ancients;  and 
of  American  authorities, 
though  all  must  have  been 
well  aware  of  its  existence,  but 
few  have  given  it  any  atten- 
tion, probably  from  a  want 
of  knowledge  of  either  its 
history  or  treatment,  or,  per- 
haps, of  both. 

It  prevails  most  extensively 
in  the  great  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi — in  the  States  of  Tennessee,  Arkansas,  Missis- 
sippi, Louisiana,  and  Alabama.  As  we  recede  from  the 
great  river  and  its  influences,  it  gradually  diminishes;  yet 
isolated  cases  may  be  found  throughout  the  country  from 
the  Eastern  sea-board  to  the  plains  of  the  far  West,  and 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Potomac  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  Its  ravages  appear  to  have  been  most  of  all 
destructive  in  Western  Tennessee,  iN'orthern  Mississippi,  and 


BIG  HEAD. 


70  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.    \  /. 

Eastern  Arkansas,  where,  at  one  time,  it  assumed  the  features 
of  an  epidemic.  During  the  years  from  1849  to  1858  the 
author  traveled  extensively  through  those  sections,  and  also 
through  Northern  Alabama,  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  a 
more  perfect  knowledge  of  this  disease,  and,  if  possible,  to 
discover. its  cause  and  cure.  It  was  not  uncommon  to  find, 
upon  the  smaller  estates,  from  one  to  ^ve  horses  and  mules 
afflicted  with  big  head  in  its  worst  forms,  while  the  larger 
cotton  plantations  frequently  presented  the  sad  spectacle  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  utterly  hopeless  cases. 

At  that  period  the  most  lamentable  ignorance  reigned 
every-where  in  regard  to  this  disease — its  nature,  causes, 
and  treatment.  Its  pathology  was  not  understood  by  any 
one.  A  few  modern  horse  doctors  had  published  their  views 
upon  it  in  pamphlets,  and  two,  perhaps,  in  book  form.  Carver 
and  Mason  had  noticed  it  only  to  pronounce  it  incurable ;  yet 
each  gave  what  he  called  a  remedy,  which,  however,  was  found 
to  be  conceived  in  ignorance  and  born  in  cruelty.  In  no  soli- 
tary instance  was  there  any  rational  connection  between  the 
nature  of  the  disease  and  the  treatment  applied  to  it. 

These  works  threw  no  light  upon  the  subject,  and  furnished 
no  clue  to  its  intelligent  study ;  they  only  "  darkened  counsel," 
and  made  investigation  more  difficult  and  uncertain.  To  dis- 
cover the  true  nature  and  proper  treatment  of  big  head  was, 
indeed,  a  'herculean  task.  There  were  no  books  and  no 
teachers,  only  the  dreadful  scourge  and  its  operations;  for 
the  school,  only  the  stable  lots  of  the  planters;  no  encour- 
agement pecuniarily,  and  little  in  any  other  way.  The 
pathology  of  the  disease  was  to  be  written,  its  diagnosis 
formed,  and  its  materia  medica  collected  and  applied  under 
the  most  unfavorable  circumstances.  Every-where  the  horse 
doctor  was  looked  upon  with  the  utmost  odium,  and  his  name 
regarded  as  only  a  synonym  for  imposition  and  low-bred 
ignorance.  It  would  be  impossible,  at  this  period  of  time,  to 
convey  to  the  mind  of  the  reader  any  adequate  idea  of  the 
utter  contempt  and  detestation  in  which  the  horse  doctor's 
profession  was  then  commonly  held.    Every  thing  had  to  be 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  *  71 

done,  too,  at  the  expense  and  trouble  of  the  poor  practitioner 
himself,  on  the  terms  of  "  no  cure,  no  pay ;"  and  very  often, 
indeed,  it  was  no  cure  and  no  pay.  Such  were  some  of  the 
difficulties  which,  at  the  outset,  met  the  author  of  this  work. 
At  the  very  threshold  of  research,'  this  terrible  malady,  big 
head,  presented  its  most  formidable  front,  and  the  curt  lan- 
guage of  the  people  of  the  country  was  commonly  such  as 
this :  "  Take  that  old  horse  with  the  big  head,  and  try  your 
hand  on  him.  If  you  can  cure  him,  you  can  cure  any  of  them." 
But  the  work  was  entered  upon  with  the  determination  to 
succeed  in  clearing  up  the  mysteries  enshrouding  the  subject, 
and,  if  possible,  to  discover  some  rational  means  of  cure. 
That  this  was  accomplished  may  now  be  seen,  and  thousands 
at  the  South  will  attest. 

Old  horses  are  much  more  likely  to  be  attacked  by  the 
disease  than  the  young  and  vigorous,  though  no  age  or 
condition  is  wholly  exempt.  The  sucking  colt,  the  yearling, 
the  two-year  old — in  fact,  all  ages  of  both  horses  and  males — 
may  show  the  enlargement  or  protrusion  of  the  frontal  bone, 
which  is  the  unmistakable  feature  of  big  head.  Within  the 
author's  observation,  though  the  bones  of  the  head  and  upper 
jaw  were  frequently  enlarged,  there  were  no  cases  of  bona  fide 
big  jaw  among  colts.  The  disease  does  not  appear  to  affect 
the  colt  to  the  same  extent  as  the  old  horse;  the  general 
system  is  but  little  involved,  and  nature  sometimes  effects  a 
cure  without  other  assistance.  The  mule,  though  less  subject 
to  it  than  the  horse,  often  has  the  big  head,  but  is  always 
much  more  easily  treated.  The  author  recollects  no  case 
of  the  mule  colt  having  it. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  region  of  country  best 
adapted  to  the  culture  of  cotton  is  also  that  most  favorable 
to  the  development  of  big  head.  The  disease  is  the  most  de- 
structive in  malarious  districts,  and,  indeed,  may  be  said  to  be 
almost  'entirely  confined  to  them.  The  cotton  plant  attains 
its  most  perfect  growth  in  precisely  the  same  localities. 

In  limestone  regions  it  is  much  less  frequent,  even  where  all 
other  predisposing  agencies  are  the  same. 


72  •    AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

THE   CAUSES   OF  BIG  HEAD. 

The  fact  just  stated  points  strongly  to  the  conclusion  that 
among  the  many  causes  which  combine  to  produce  big  head, 
is  the  water  found  in  the  sections  where  it  prevails,  which  is 
generally  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur,  iron,  and  other 
minerals.  It  is  soft,  such  as  is  found  in  freestone  formations, 
and  entirely  destitute  of  lime,  a  substance  entering  largely 
into  the  composition  of  the  bones.  The  bones  are  composed 
mainly  of  phosphate  of  lime,  a  combination  of  lime  and 
phosphorus.  For  the  former,  the  horse  is  chiefly  dependent 
upon  the  water  which  he  drinks.,  his  food  supplying  the  latter. 
Fresh  water  does  not  furnish  phosphorus,  nor  vegetation 
lime,  except  in  very  limited  quantities.  The  lime  contained 
in  some  water  is  not  free,  but  exists  in  combination  with 
other  substances,  and  in  such  cases  there  will  be  an  excess 
of  phosphorus  in  the  secretions  above  what  is  needed  to 
supply  materials  for  the  growth  and  repair  of  the  bones. 

Water  performs  the  office  of  a  solvent  in  the  digestive 
functions  of  the  stomach.  It  softens  the  food  into  chyme, 
which,  passing  into  the  small  intestines,  there  receives  the 
gastric  secretions  of  the  hepatic  and  biliary  ducts,  and  by 
their  aid  is  still  further  digested.  The  nutritive  particles 
are  next  extracted,  and,  in  the  form  of  chyle,  are  conveyed 
to  the  blood.  Lime  is  mechanically  combined  with  water, 
and,  when  it  is  free,  unites  readily  in  this  process  with  the 
chyle,  and  with  it  is  carried  by  the  blood  to  the  bones. 
Phosphorus  is  secreted  from  the  food,  and  supplied  to  the 
bones  in  the  same  manner. 

The  water  in  Western  •  Tennessee,  Northern  Mississippi, 
and  Eastern  Arkansas  is  not  only  singularly  devoid  of  lime, 
but  is  remarkable  for  containing  so  many  other  minerals. 
This  condition  of  the  water,  however,  can  not  be  regarded 
as  the  sole  cause  of  big  head.  In  some  parts  of  our  coun- 
try, where  there  is  still  less  lime  in  the  water,  the  disease 
is  well-ni^h  unknown,  and,  even  in  the  sections  named, 
many  horses  escape.  But  that  it  is,  at  least,  a  predisposing 
agency  can  not  reasonably  be  doubted. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONE.  78 

Another  important  consideration,  in  tracing  out  the  causes 
which  unite  to  produce  big  head,  is  the  food  which  the  horse 
eats.  In  grass-growing  countries  the  disease  is  rare,  and 
even  in  the  infected  districts  horses  seldom  have  it,  if  thej 
have  access  to  good  pastures.  It  is  the  same  privilege  which 
so  largely  protects  the  young  colt,  in  most  instances.  The 
soil  in  those  sections  of  the  South  which  appear  to  be  its 
principal  theater  of  operations  is  very  dry  and  sandy,  bearing 
only  a  species  of  wire-grass  in  the  early  spring.  Even  this 
lasts  but  a  few  months,  becoming  so  hard  by  July  or  August 
that  stock  refuse  to  eat  it.  At  the  South,  unless  there  has 
been  a  great  improvement  iii  this  department  of  plantation 
management  within  a  very  few  years  past,  the  horse  is  sel- 
dom allowed  the  benefit  of  even  this  poor  grazing,  but,  when 
not  in  service,  is  usually  kept  in  the  stable,  or  a  dry  stable- 
lot. 

If  a  proper  system  of  plantation  management — of  grooming 
and  feeding — were  adopted,  the  evil  would  be  overcome  to 
a  great  extent.  But  corn,  and  corn-blades  stripped  from  the 
stalk  in  the  month  of  August  and  dried,  constitute  the  prin- 
cipal food  in  the  stables  of  the  South.  It  is,— -or  at  least  was, 
during  the  author's  residence  in  that  region, —  a  common 
practice  to  feed  nothing  but  these  for  months  together,  the 
horse,  meanwhile,  being  kept  at  continuous  hard  labor.  Corn 
is  very  heating  in  its  tendency,  and,  as  an  exclusive  diet,  al- 
ways occasions  more  or  less  fever.  It  is  to  the  horse  what 
meat  is  to  his  driver ;  a  portion  may  be  eaten  beneficially, 
but  if  the  diet  fails  to  combine  other  articles,  derangement 
of  the  system  and  consequent  illness  must  follow.  A  horse 
which  lives  exclusively  upon  corn  feed  is  seldom  entirely 
■free  from  fever. 

1^0  common  aliment  is  probably  less  favorable  to  the  ani- 
mal health  than  corn  fodder,  at  least  as  it  is  harvested  at  the 
South.  It  is  very  dry,  always  dusty,  and,  while  possessing 
little  substance,  has  a  strong  tendency  to  thicken  and  dry  up 
the  blood.  The  corn  is  often  very  much  injured  by  rains, 
while  standing  in  the  field ;  in  many  cases  the  crop  is  not 


k 

T4  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

gathered  until  midwinter,  and  sometimes  not  even  until  spring. 
It  is  no  uncommon  scene,  in  Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  to 
find  one  set  of  hands  gathering  the  corn  in  one-half  of  the 
field,  while  in  the  other  a  second  set  are  putting  in  the  new 
crop.  Corn  that  stands  out  a  whole  winter  in  this  way  must, 
of  course,  be  greatly  injured,  becoming  water-soaked,  and 
some  of  it  actually  rotten.  ^N'ot  only  that  which  falls  down 
upon  the  wet  ground  is  damaged ;  but,  of  what  remains  stand- 
ing, the  large  or  stump-end  of  the  ears  are  generally  much 
softened,  if  not  decayed.  The  same  is  true  of  the  fodder; 
most  of  it,  by  standing  out  in  shocks,  becomes  damp  and 
moldy. 

On  such  food  two-thirds  of  the  horses  at  the  South  are 
compelled  to  live,  and,  as  a  consequence,  more  than  one-half 
of  them  suffer  continually  from  fever.  No  wonder  they 
have  big  head,  and  every  other  disease  that  horse-flesh  is 
heir  to ;  the  only  marvel  is  that  they  are  ever  well,  or,  indeed, 
that  they  live  at  all.  To  feed  them  corn  exclusively  is  bad 
enough,  but  when  that  corn  is  rotten,  and  is  eked  out  by 
moldy  fodder,  the  condition  of  the  poor  animals  is  deplorable. 

In  connection  with  water  and  food,  climate  has,  undoubt- 
edly, a  powerful  influence  in  developing  big  head.  The  fact 
that  the  scourge  is  almost  entirely  confined  to  malarious  dis- 
tricts has  been  already  stated.  Cases  may  occur  elsewhere, 
but  they  are  of  rare  occurrence,  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  stronger  the  malarious  influence  the  more  frequent  is  the 
disease.  In  Western  Tennessee*  and  Eastern  Arkansas,  por- 
tions of  country  well  known  for  their  unhealthfulness,  it  is 
most  cpmmon  and  fatal,  increasing  as  we  approach  the  Mis- 
sissippi. The  whole  valley  of  that  great  river,  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Ohio  to  the  Gulf,  is  low,  damp,  and  malarious. 

Nor  must  bad  treatment  be  overlooked  in  enumerating  the 
causes  of  big  head.  No  one  who  has  given  the  subject  any 
attention  can  have  failed  to  notice  that  the  horse  well  cared 
for  and  kindly  treated  is  much  less  likely  to  contract  the 
disease  than  one  ill-used.  On  many  Southern  plantations 
there  are  no  stables ;  and  on  many  others  it  was  not  uncom- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  75    i 

mon,  a  few  years  ago,  to  find  the  horse  in  the  pens  which 
were  called  such,  half-leg  deep  in  mud  and  water,  at  mid- 
winter, and  in  summer  standing  upon  great  steaming  piles 
of  manure.  He  was  generally  left  in  the  sole  charge  of  care- 
less negroes,  who  neither  knew,  nor  cared  to  know,  much 
ahout  his  wants  or  his  health;  and  who,  after  working  the 
faithful  creature  hard  all  day,  and  abusing  him  recklessly, 
thought  their  duty  fully  discharged,  if  at  night  they  shut  him 
up  in  these  pens,  to  gorge  himself  from  a  trough-full  of  corn 
and  fodder.  And  the  practice  was  the  same,  without  any  re- 
ference to  his  condition  or  his  health,  whether  he  was  sick 
or  well,  or  whether  overheated  by  violent  exercise  or  not. 
E'or  did  the  poor  animal's  ill-usage  always  end  even  with 
this.  Often  he  was  pressed  into  the  service  of  some  pilfering 
or  trading  expedition,  conducted  under  cover  of  night ;  rid- 
den at  the  top  of  his  speed  to  the  rendezvous ;  tied  to  a  tree 
in  the  woods,  without  any  protection  from  the  weather,  no 
matter  how  cold ;  and  then,  in  the  morning,  galloped  back, 
until  he  was  steaming  with  perspiration,  just  in  time  to  eat 
his  corn  and  be  driven  out  to  work  again.  Such  was  the 
treatment  of  thousands  of  horses  at  the  South  fifteen  or 
twenty  years  ago.  Of  course,  disease  did  a  fearful  work 
among  them. 

Succinctly  presented,  then,  the  agencies  principally  con- 
cerned in  producing  big  head  are  bad  water,  improper  feed- 
ing, malarious  influences,  and  general  ill-usage.  IN'ot  all  of 
these,  it  must  be  understood,  are  necessarily  in  active  opera- 
tion at  the  same  time.  Horses  have  had  the  disease  that 
were  as  well  cared  for  as  possible,  and  cases  have  occurred  in 
sections  where  the  water  was  good  and  abounded  with  lime. 
But  neither  horses  nor  mules,  it  is  believed,  ever  suflered 
from  big  head  whose  food  was  not  largely  made  up  of  corn, 
and  but  few  in  localities  entirely  free  from  malaria. 

NATURE  AND  LOCATION  OF  THE  DISEASE. 

Big  head  is  a  disease  of  the  bones,  beginning  with  an  en- 
largement of  the  bones  of  the  head  and  jaw,  and  ending  with 


76  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

general  necrosis— that  is,  "death  of  the  bones."  During  its 
progress,  the  bones  of  the  entire  system,  from  a  lack  of  ma- 
terial in  the  blood,  gradually  waste  away,  so  that,  after  the 
death  of  its  victims,  they  are  frequently  found  to  be  no  more 
than  one-half,  or  even  one-fourth,  their  usual  thickness  while 
in  a  healthy  condition.  They  become  mere  shells,  entirely 
destitute  of  marrow,  and  so  brittle  as  to  be  easily  broken  by 
the  pressure  of  the  foot,  or  by  a  blow  from  the  blade  of  a 
large  pocket-knife.  Before  a  fatal  termination  has  been 
reached,  it  sometimes  occurs  that  the  bones  of  the  fore-legs, 
unable  longer  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  body,  actually  break 
between  the  knee  and  ankle-joint. 

As  stated  above,  the  disease  first  makes  its  appearance  m 
the  head  and  jaws;  its  immediate  seat  is  in  the  marrow  of 
the  up{>er  and  lower  jaw-bones,  which  become  carious,  or  ul- 
cerated.   When  fever  is  present  in  the  animal  system,  it  al- 
ways has  a  strong  tendency  to  locate  in  some  member  which 
discharges  one  of  the  vital,  or  at  least  important,  functions, 
and  which  is,  therefore,  much  in  use.     It  follows  from  this 
that  the  part  in  most  severe  exercise  is  the  one  most  of  all 
likely  to  be  ajfected,  and  hence  the  development  of  this  dis- 
ease at  first  in  the  head  and  jaws.     The  constant  and  severe 
exercise  of  grinding  the  hard,  flinty  corn  irritates  and  inflames 
the  te'eth  and  gums,  and  it  is  in  them  and  in  the  jaws  that 
the  fever  in  the  system  makes  haste  to  establish  itself.     The 
marrow  of  the  bones  in  the  head  is  next  attacked,  changing 
to  a  thick  and  putrid  yellow  matter.     The  swelling  of  the 
head  and  jaws  is  an  ulcerated  enlargement  of  the  bones,— 
simply  an  effort  of  nature  to  discharge  this  matter,  and  so 
to  throw  off  the  disease.    As  an  evidence  of  this,  a  minute 
examination  will  show  that  the  bones  are  filled  with  a  tissue 
of  little  irregular  cells,  or  cavities,  and  that  the  entire  space 
occupied  by  the  marrow  is  becoming  of  a  scaly  or  spongy 
growth  of  bone.    It  is  plain  that  a  general  destruction  of  the 
bony  tissue  is  rapidly  going  forward.    If  its  progress  is  not 
now  arrested,  this  will  spread  through  the  whole  body.     In 
several  cases  examined  after  death  by  the  author,  the  bones 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  77 

were  all  found  in  this  condition.  When  the  marrow  is  de- 
stroyed, necrosis  takes  place ;  the  bones  die,  and  so  does  the 
horse.  As  might  be  expected,  while  the  disease  is  running 
its  fearful  course,  the  poor  suflerer  becomes  dreadfully  emaci- 
ated. 

SYMPTOMS,   ETC. 

It  is  extremely  desirable  so  to  describe  the  disease,  and  to 
point  out  its  earliest  peculiarities,  as  that  all  may  be  en- 
abled to  discover  it  readily,  and  to  protect  themselves  from 
imposition.  This  will  not  prove  difficult.  In  its  very  first 
stages,  big  head  may  be  easily  detected  by  running  the 
thumb  up  under  the  lip,  beside  the  under  jaw-bone,  between 
the  lip  and  the  teeth.  The  side  of  the  jaw  should  be 
nearly  perpendicular  with  the  teeth  above.  Should  there 
be  any  enlargement,  even  as  much  as  the  eighth  of  an 
inch,  let  the  farmer  beware  of  that  horse.  Any*  swelling  of 
the  head  or  upper  jaw  he  can  see  at  the  first  careful  glance. 
The  nasal  bone,  which  lies  in  a  direct  line  from  the  eye  to 
the  nose,  is  the  one  that  becomes  misshapen  and  betrays 
the  presence  of  the  disease. 

The  skin  and  muscles  of  the  head  become  fixed,  and  will 
not  move  by  pulling  the  lips.  One  of  the  surest  indications 
of  big  head  is  a  constant  sleepiness  while  standing. 

As  the  disease  progresses,  the  appearance  of  the  poor  vic- 
tim becomes  pitiable  in  the  extreme.  He  is  gaunt  and 
drawn  up,  his  hind  and  forefeet  almost  together ;  his  head 
droops  and  water  runs  from  his  eyes;  the  hair  is  erect;  the 
joints  are  stift',  and  the  skin  is  dry  and  hard,  and  seems  very  . 
tight.  His  excrement,  which  is  hard,  black,  and  almost 
entirely  destitute  of  moisture,  is  voided  with  great  diffi- 
culty. 

As  has  been  intimated,  the  disease  in  its  first  stages  is 
not  perceptible  to  the  unpracticed  eye.  It  then  presents  no 
external  evidences  by  which  it  may  be  known,  and  hence 
many  an  amateur  trader  in  horses  and  mules  has  been  de- 
ceived. The  unsuspecting  owner  soon  finds  that  something 
is  wrong;   the  horse  is   stiff,  and  does  not  move  with  his 


78  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

accustomed  vivacity  and  spirit.  But  his  appetite  is  good. 
Yery  likely,  indeed,  he  eiats  voraciously,  and  this  only 
serves  to  allay  suspicion.  A  horse  with  the  big  head  con- 
tinues to  eat  until  the  last  moment.  When  no  longer  able 
to  raise  his  head  from  the  earth,  the  poor  creature,  lying 
upon  his  side,  as  well  as  he  can,  begs  for  corn;  and  strange 
as.  it  may  appear,  corn— one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the 
disease — is  the  only  food  he  wants,  and  nothing  else  will 
he  eat. 

TREATMENT. 

The  object  of  this  must  be  twofold :  first,  to  dry  up  the 
humor  in  the  jaws  and  head ;  and,  second,  to  free  the  system 
from  the  general  effects  of  the  disease.  This,  of  course,  can 
be  most  easily  done  in  the  early  stages,  yet  the  disease  may 
often  be  overcome  when  it  has  made  considerable  progress. 
It  is  worth  a  trial  whenever  a  horse  can  raise  himself  to 
his  feet. 

Bleeding  is  the  first  and  indispensable  thing  to  be  done. 
The  blood  is  very  thick,  almost  black,  and  moves  very 
sluggishly.  The  veins  are  congested — often  dreadfully  con- 
tracted.  JS'o  medicines  can  be  made  to  operate  upon  the 
system  while  the  blood  remains  in  this  condition.  The 
mucous  absorbents  of  the  intestines  are  nearly  closed,  and 
food  passes  onward  through  them  undigested.  While  com- 
munication between  the  digestive  organs  and  the  blood 
is  so  nearly  cut  off,  it  is  folly  to  give  medicines.  Bleed- 
ing thins  the  blood,  as  well  as  decreases  its  quantity ;  relaxes 
the  system,  and  enables  the  absorbents  concerned  in  the 
functions  of  nutrition  to  perform  their  proper  ofiices.  Medi- 
cines can  now  again  reach  the  circulation  and  be  carried 
to  the  extremities  by  the  capillaries.  The  quantity  of  blood 
taken  should  be  from  two  to  four  quarts,  according  to  the 
character  of  the  symptoms.  In  a  bad  case  the  bleeding 
should  be  repeated  every  sixth  day,  though  ordinarily 
from  two  to  four  times,  at  intervals  of  ten  days,  will  be 
enough. 

The   bleeding   having   been  performed,  the   practitioner 


9 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  79 

should  prepare  about  half  a  pint  of  corrosive  liniment, 
first  taking  care  to  procure  an  earthen-ware  cup  into  which 
to  pour  it.  He  should  apply  the  liniment  to  the  parts  af- 
fected with  a  small  mop,  made  by  tying  a  piece  of  old 
cloth  on  the  end  of  a  stick.  One  table-spoonful  on  each 
side  of  the  head  and  jaw  will  be  a  sufficient  application,  the 
liquid  being  always  well  shaken  previously.  The  parts  must 
be  well  wet  with  the  liniment,  which  should  then  be  thor- 
oughly dried  in  with  a  hot  iron,  held  near  the  skin,  but  not 
touching  it,  as  actual  contact  would  not  only  needlessly 
torture  the  poor  brute,  but  would  destroy  the  effects  of  the 
remedy.  The  liniment  should  be  applied  in  this  way,  every 
other  day,  six  or  eight  times;  or  in  a  bad  case,  the  treat- 
ment may  be  continued  as  long  as  is  necessary,  varied  by- 
omitting  the  application  four  or  five  days  at  a  time  in 
every  fortnight.  It  is  important  to  remember  that  the  di- 
gestion of  the  horse,  and  not  the  condition  of  his  head  and 
jaws,  is  to  be  the  guide  in  determining  what  degree  of  suc- 
cess attends  these  efforts. 

The  effects  of  the  disease  will  be  likely  to  linger  in  the 
system  long  after  it  has  been  checked  in  the  parts  where  it 
chiefly  manifests  itself.  To  remove  these  effects  will  be 
slow  work;  but  it  must  be  done,  or  the  disease  will  return 
again,  in  which  case  it  will  almost  certainl}^  prove  fatal.  To 
remove  his  stiffness,  loosen  his  hide,  and  regulate  his  diges- 
tion the  following  simple  prescription  should  be  given:  One 
table-spoonful  of  stramonia  seed — that  is,  the  seed  of  the 
"  jimson  weed,"  as  it  is  commonly  called;  or  of  the  thorn-ap- 
ple, as  it  is  otherwise  known — in  some  meal  or  bran,  every 
other  day,  until  three  or  four  doses  have  been  administered. 
It  may  then  be  omitted  for  two  or  three  days.  This  medi- 
cation should  be  repeated  so  long  as  may  be  found  neces- 
sary. 

Many  persons,  supposing  the  "jimson"  seed  to  be  poison- 
ous, are  at  first  afraid  to  give  it.  There  is  not  the  least 
danger,  however,  in  using  it  as  above  directed.  It  has  a 
very  happy  effect  upon  the  horse's  system,  and  especially 


% 


80  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

upon  his  digestion.  His  excrement,  which  before  was  black, 
hard,  and  dry,  becomes  soft,  and  of  a  healthy  yellow  ap- 
pearance. When  this  is  accomplished,  the  patient  is-  safe, 
and  not  until  then,  as  this  will  not  be  the  case  until  the 
disease  is  fairly  broken.  The  use  of  the  "jimson"  seed 
will  do  more  to  free  him  from  the  general  effects  of  big 
head  than  all  the  other  medicine  which  can  be  given  him. 
Hundreds  have  been  cured  by  it  where  no  other  means 
were  employed. 

The  author  recollects  one  remarkable  case  of  this  sort. 
Mr.  Eichard  Cross,  of  Hardeman  County,  Tennessee,  had 
two  valuable  horses  nearly  ruined  with  big  head.  He 
turned  them  into  a  cotton-gin  lot,  of  two  or  three  acres, 
where  was  growing  a  flourishing  crop  of  "jimson"  weeds, 
determined  that  they  should  eat  this  or  starve.  Pressed  by 
the  gnawings  of  hunger,  the  horses  first  nibbled  away  at  the 
leaves,  then  fed  upon  the  buds,  and  at  last  devoured  stalks 
and  all.  Compassion  finally  drew  his  attention  to  these 
poor  creatures,  and  to  his  astonishment  he  found  them 
nearly  well.  When  turned  into  the  lot  they  could  scarcely 
drag  their  feet  over  a  rail,  lying  on  the  ground;  but  now 
the  little  negro  who  first  informed  him  of  their  improve* 
ment,  put  the  case  emphatically  in  these  words:  "Massa, 
I  tink  ole  Gray  'most  well ;  he  kick  up  his  heels."  Years 
afterward  the  writer  saw  the  same  old  gray  horse,  as  well 
and  fat  as  could  be  desired. 

In  case  the  "jimson"  seed  can  not  be  procured,  a  quarter 
of  a  pound  of  sulphur  may  be  given  daily,  to  the  amount 
of  three  or  four  pounds.  In  connection  with  the  sulphur,  the 
horse  should  have  an  aloes  pill  every  other  day  for  a  week ; 
but  the  "jimson"  seed  should  be  obtained,  if  possible.  !N"o 
other  remedy  can  be  absolutely  depended  upon,  and  it  is  prin- 
cipally to  his  reliance  upon  it  that  the  author  attributes  his 
great  success  in  curing  big  head  at  the  South. 

The  swelling  of  the  head  and  jaws  will  disappear  very 
gradually,  and  if  it  has  been  unusually  great,  the  "bunches" 
will  always  show  to  some  extent ;  but  it  will  become  less  and 


9    i 


I 


'-       DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  81 

less  observable  each  successive  year,  and,  ordinarily,  the 
muscles  and  tendons  will  so  accommod^tte  themselves  to  the 
new  condition  of  things  that,  after  a  time,  the  enlargement 
can  scarcely  be  detected. 

!N'ot  less  than  ten  thousand  horses  and  mules,  of  which  the 
author  had  knowledge,  were  cured  by  this  treatment  during 
the  years  from  1850  to  1858.  The  cure  is  radical.  When  it 
has  once  been  effected,  the  horse  is  no  more  liable  to  the  dis- 
ease than  if  he  had  never  had  it;  nor  will  any  ugly  scars 
remain  to  proclaim  that  he  was  ever  unsound. 

For  the  sake  of  convenience,  a  recapitulation  of  the  treat- 
ment before  laid  down  is  here  subjoined : 

1st  Bleed  from  two  to  six  times,  at  intervals  of  from  six 
to  ten  days,  iaccording  to  the  aggravation  of  the  symptoms. 

2d.  Apply  the  corrosive  liniment  every  other  day,  as  di- 
rected. 

3d.  Give  a  table-spoonful  of  stramonia,  or  "jimson"  seed, 
daily,  with  intervals  of  omission  as  specified,  as  long  as  may 
be  necessary. 

4th.  In  the  absence  of  the  "jimson  "  seed,  give  proper  doses 
of  sulphur,  with  the  aloes  pill. 

AFTER   TREATMENT. 

This  must  be  judicious  and  careful.  Unless  the  object  is  to 
kill  him,  the  horse  should  never  be  worked  while  convales- 
cing. When  the  weather  is  bad,  he  should  be  kept  in  a 
warm,  clean  stable.  If  pasture  is  in  season,  he  should  be 
turned  upon  it  .during  the  day,  but  during  cold  rains,  and 
on  chilly  nights,  he  must  be  brought  into  the  stable.  Should 
the  weather  be  unusually  damp  or  cold,  he  should  be  covered 
with  a  blanket.  The  little  blood  which  a  horse  in  this  con- 
dition has  is  very  thick,  and  he  is  much  more  sensitive  to  the 
cold  than  when  in  health. 

MODES  OF  TREATMENT  FORMERLY  PRACTICED. 

A  brief  sketch  of  the  practices  in  use  at  the  South  for  the 
cure  of  big  head  twenty  years  ago,  can  scarcely  fail  to  inter- 
6 


82  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

est  the  reader.  Some  of  these  were  barbarous  in  the  extreme, 
and  none  had  any  aim  beyond  simply  checking  the  swelling 
of  the  head  and  jaws.  Of  the  condition  of  the  general  system, 
or  of  any  remedy  for  ridding  it  of  the  dreadful  effects  of  the 
disease,  absolutely  nothing  was  known  with  certainty.  One 
of  the  common,  cruel  modes  of  treatment  occasionally  proved 
partially  successful,  but  generally  they  all  alike  failed.  The 
process  was  called  "putting  back  the  big  head;"  that  is, 
when  any  thing  was  accomplished,  which  was  possible  only 
in  the  first  stages  of  the  disease.  Few  cases  would  remain 
"  put  back,"  and,  most  frequently,  the  animals  fell  victims  to 
a  subsequent  attack.    ^ 

First  in  the  horrible  list  of  savageries  may  be  mentioned 
the  practice  of  burning  or  scalding  with  a  horn  filled  with  a 
hot  mush,  made  of  ashes  and  boiling  water.  A  common  cow's 
horn,  filled  with  this  mush,  scalding  hot,  was  applied  to  the 
parts  immediately  over  the  seat  of  the  disease.  The  horse's 
head  first  being  fastened  so  that  he  could  not  move  it,  the  horn 
was  held  against  it,  until  the  skin  and  flesh  were  literally 
cooked,  or  sufficiently  so  to  cause  them  to  slough  oft'  quite 
to  the  bone  in  a  few  days.  This  treatment  was  sometimes 
efficacious  in  the  incipient  stages  of  the  disorder,  but  always 
very  much  disfigured  the  poor  animals  subjected  to  it;  often 
it  killed  them. 

An  equally  inhuman  practice  was  to  run  a  sharp,  red-hot 
iron  into  the  jaw,  and  entirely  through  the  b'^ne.  This  would 
likewise  check  the  disease  in  certain  cases,  but  it  produced 
a  dreadfully  offensive,  running  sore,  which  never  healed.  The 
writer  has  seen  many  examples  of  this  treatment,  and  once 
had  two  of  its  victims  placed  in  his  charge  to  experiment 
with,  and,  if  possible,  to  cure,  but  nothing  could  be  done 
for  them.  One  was  shot,  as  an  act  of  mercy,  and  the  other 
was  given  away. 

Another  singular  practice  much  in  vogue  was  the  extrac- 
tion of  one  or  two  of  the  large  molars,  or  double-teeth,  by 
means  of  a  large  pair  of  tongs,  called  "  tooth-pullers,"  about 
three  feet  long,  and  in  shape  like  a  pair  of  blacksmith's 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  83 

tongs.  Near  the  end  was  a  shoulder,  so  arranged  as  to  take 
hold  of  the  teeth,  which  were  thus  wrenched  out.  This  prac- 
tice appeared  to  "  put  hack "  the  disease  more  frequently 
than  any  of  the  others,  but  the  horse  always  suffered  irrepar- 
able injury  from  the  loss  of  his  teeth,  so  necessary  in  grind- 
ing his  food.  The  writer  has  seen  at  least  five  hundred  horses 
with  their  teeth  thus  extracted,  and  while  some  of  them  were 
much  improved,  none  were  entirely  well.  They  remained 
stiff  and  hide-bound,  and  with  much  impaired  digestion. 

But  the  greatest  enormity  was  the  use  of  arsenic.  The 
plan  was  to  cut  through  the  skin  to  the  jaw-bone,  insert  a 
quantity  of  arsenic  with  a  quill,  and  then  close  the  wound.  A 
dreadful  inflammation  and  swelling  was  the  inevitable  result, 
the  head  sometimes  becoming  as  large  as  a  half-busheh  An 
abst^ess  soon  formed,  terminating  invariably  in  a  running 
sore,  offensive  almost  beyond  endurance.  It  was  no  uncom- 
mon thing  for  the  flesh  and  skin  to  slough  oft',  leaving  the 
bone  exposed,  when  only  the  utmost  care  could  save  the 
wretched  animal  from  the  maggot,  the  fly,  and,  at  last,  the 
merciful  interposition  of  death.  This  remedy  was,  indeed, 
worse  than  the  disease  in  its  most  aggravated  form. 

Other  equally  revolting  and  barbarous  systems  of  treatment 
were  current,  but,  as  these  are  fair  examples  of  them  all,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  occupy  further  space  in  enlarging  upon  them. 

That  these  practices  can  be  described  mainly  as  things  of 
the  past,  must  be  a  source  of  deep  thankfulness  to  every  hu- 
mane person.  They  shocked  and  disgusted  intelligent  men, 
even  when  at  their  height ;  and,  as  the  lesser  choice  of  two 
evils,  many  horses  were  given  over  to  die,  without  the  exer- 
tion of  any  effort  to  prevent  it.  Still,  no  attempt  was  made 
to  introduce  a  rational  substitute,  and  hence  the  ignorant  horse 
doctors  of  that  period  —  or  "butchers"  as  they  were  often 
called — had  every  thing  their  own  way.  The  people  every- 
where hailed  with  gladness  the  improved  modes  of  treatment, 
and  presented  the  author  with  many  valuable  ^;okens  of  their 
appreciation  and  gratitude. 


^- 


84  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

SWINNEY,  OR  INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  SHOULDER. 

It  would  puzzle  the  very  wisest  in- horse  lore  to  determine 
where  the  popular  name  of  this  disease  originated,  or  why  it 
was  first  used.  It  is  utterly  unknown  to  European  writers, 
and  has  received  scarcely  any  attention  from  American  au- 
thors. A  more  proper  designation  would  be  inflammation 
of*  the  shoulder,  as  will  become  apparent  from  a  fuller  de- 
scription. Swinney,  or  sweeny — commonly  so  called — is  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  but 
prevails  more  especially  in  the  South-west,  and  perhaps  most 
of  all  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

Its  cause  may  undoubtedly  be  traced  to  a  very  severe 
strain  upon  the  top  of  the  shoulder,  sometimes  even  tearing 
loose  the  strong  tendons  which  connect  the  scapula,  or  shoul- 
der-blade, with  the  back.  In  this  case,  the  whole  frame- 
work of  the  shoulder  gives  way,  the  scapula  slips  down  some 
inches,  and  the  top  of  the  shoulder  assumes  a  sharp  and  hol- 
low appearance.  This  is  known  as  slip-shoulder.  When  in 
health,  the  horse  readily  recovers  from  the  effects  of  an  or- 
dinary strain,  with  no  further  care  than  a  little  rest ;  but  if 
there  is  much  tendency  to  fever  in  his  system,  such  an  acci- 
dent is  very  likely  to  produce  swinney. 

The  immediate  seat  of  the  disease  appears  to  be  the  peri- 
osteum, or  membranous  sheath  investing  the  scapula.  If  the 
skin  was  affected,  it  would  be  visible  to  the  eye.  Minute  ex- 
amination, or  at  least  dissection,  would  detect  disease  in  the 
bones,  if  any  existed,  and  an  abscess  or  tumor  would  speed- 
ily reveal  where  the  trouble  lay,  if  it  were  in  the  muscular 
portion  of  the  shoulder.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that 
the  cartilages  and  tendons  passing  over  and  beneath  the 
scapula  are  involved,  in  greater  or  less  degree,  as  they  often 
suffer  great  decay. 

There  are  two  distinct  stages  of  this  disease,  a  fact  which 
the  horseman  should  fix  in  his  mind  by  carefully  studying 
each  of  them.  The  first  stage  is  characterized  by  inflamma- 
tion and  lameness,  and  is  sometimes  very  difiicult  to  distin- 


^^. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  85 

guish  from  certain  diseases  of  the  feet  whicli  usually  accom- 
pany it.  Quite  frequently  the  lameness  is  apparent  in  the 
legs  and  feet  alone.  The  horse  seldom  stands  equally  upon 
both  feet,  but  throws  forward  the  limb  upon  the  affected  side 
to  rest  it,  and  his  step  is  short  and  limping.  There  is  great 
fever  in  the  shoulder;  the  flesh  becomes  hard;  the  skin  ad- 
heres to  the  bone  so  closely  that  it  can  with  difficulty  be 
moved  at  all;  the  parts  shrivel  away,  and  the  entire  shoul- 
der has  a  hollow,  shrunken  appearance.  The  animal's,  un- 
willingness to  lie  down  is  a  most  characteristic  symptom,  the 
pain  occasioned  by  the  strain  upon  the  muscles  and  tendons 
of  the  shoulder  being  greater  than  he  is  willing  to  undergo ; 
and  when,  at  length,  compelled  to  do  so  by  sheer  exhaustion, 
there  is  no  mistaking  his  sufferings  and  complainings.  This 
circumstance  alone  infallibly  discriminates  between  ^winney 
and  founder,  as  the  foundered  horse  lies  down  with  ease,  and 
passes  more  than  half  his  time  in  a  recumbent  position. 

The  second  stage  is  really  the  beginning  of  what  farmers 
call  big  shoulder,  a  sad  affliction,  which  will  presently  be 
spoken  of  under  its  own  name.  It  is  the  sequel  of  long-con- 
tinued inflammation,  or  of  unusually  severe  injuries.  In  this, 
the  tendons  that  connect  the  scapula  with  the  back — having 
been  violently  torn  loose,  or  becoming  relaxed  from  the 
weakening  effects  of  disease — no  longer  keep  the  blade  in  its 
place,  but  permit  it  to  drop  downward.  Disease  extends  not 
only  to  the  scapula,  but  also  to  the  humerus — properly  the 
upper  bone  of  the  arm,  but  often  called  the  lower  one  of  the 
shoulder.  The  head  of  this  bt>ne  begins  to  grow,  and  hyper- 
trophy adds  a  new  complication  to  the  case.  The  joint  be- 
comes greatly  enlarged,  and  from  sheer  weakness  pitches  for- 
ward,  the  muscles  surrounding  it  waste  away,  and  this  part 
of  the  shoulder  appears  terribly  misshapen.  The  most  casual 
glance  at  the  animal's  disfigured  condition  now  reveals  but  too 
plainly  what  has  taken  place. 

One  feature  of  swinney  deserves  particular  attention :  that 
it  is  almost  invariably  accompanied  by  diseased  feet.  Of  all 
the  disorders  which  indirectly  affect  the  horse's  foot,  none  do 


86  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

so  in  greater  degree  than  this.  There  is  an  intimate  sympa- 
thy between  the  shoulders  and  the  feet,  and  the  diseased  con- 
dition of  the  latter  has  unquestionably  much  to  do  with 
aggravating  the  symptoms  in  the  former.  The  hoof  rot,  es- 
pecially, is  a  most  frequent  adjunct  of  swinney,  and  requires 
direct  treatment,  as  prescribed  elsewhere.  It  will  be  exceed- 
ingly difficult  to  reduce  the  inflammation  in  the  shoulder 
while  the  feet  are  diseased,  and  a  permanent  cure,  under  these 
conditions,  may  be  pronounced  impossible. 

In  the  first  stages,  energetic  treatment  will  be  likely  to  re- 
store a  young  and  vigorous  horse  to  perfect  soundness;  but 
the  old  or  feeble  can  hardly  be  expected  to  entirely  outgrow 
the  effects  of  the  disease.  In  the  second  stage,  not  much 
can  be  done  in  any  case.  The  patient  may  be  patched  up, 
so  as  to  serve  for  moderate  labor  a  short  time  longer;  but  he 
will  always  be  weak,  sadly  disfigured,  and  in  an  emergency 
utterly  unreliable. 

TREATMENT. 

Whatever  treatment  is  adopted,  it  is  obvious  that  it  should 
have  for  its  object  active  and  powerful  counter-irritation. 
The  prevailing  inflammation  must  be  brought  to  the  surface. 
This  the  corrosive  liniment  will  eflectually  do.  It  should  be 
used  daily  for  two  or  three  days,  being  apphed  to  the  af- 
fected parts  and  thoroughly  dried  in  with  a  hot  iron, 
in  the 'same  manner  as  directed  for  big  head  and  spavin 
Let  it  be  omitted  for  two  or.  three  days,  and  then  employed 
again.  This  treatment  must  be  kept  up  as  long  as  may  be 
necessary  to  eflect  a  cure,  which  will  generally  be  from  two 
to  four*  weeks.  In  order  to  loosen  the  skin,  it  should  be 
rubbed  and  pulled  with  the  hand  every  mormng.  This 
ought  still  to  be  practiced  occasionally,  and  the  parts  kept 
well  greased,  after  the  liniment  has  been  dispensed  with. 

In  most  cases,  it  will  be  found  beneficial  to  bleed  once 
taking  from  the  neck-vein  from  two  quarts  to  a  gallon  of 
blood,  according  to  the  symptoms.  This  will  tend  to  pre 
vent  the  local  fever  from  extending  to  the  general  system. 


L 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  87 

If  there  is  pasture  to  be  had,  let  the  horse  be  turned  upon 
it.  During  cold  weather  or  chilly  rains  he  should  be  stabled, 
and  fed  on  moist,  relaxing  diet.  On  no  account  let  there  be 
any  thought  of  working  him  until  he  is  quite  well. 

FORMER  MODES    OP   TREATMENT. 

These  were  all  barbarous  expedients  to  produce  counter- 
irritation,  the  great  desideratum  in  the  treatment  of  swinney. 
One  method  was  to  stab  the  diseased  parts  a  number  of  times 
with  a  large  pegging-awl  until  they  were  full  of  little  holes 
half  an  inch  deep.  Another  was  known  as  puffing.  A  quill 
was  inserted  into  a  small  incision  through  the  skin,  and  air 
blown  in.  This  was  pressed  along  through  the  cellular  tisr 
sues  with  the  hand,  the  skin  being  torn  loose  in  the  process, 
until  the  entire  surface  of  the  shoulder  was  puffed  out  like 
a  full-blown  bladder.  A  third  practice  consisted'  in  burning 
the  parts  in  a  multitude  of  ways — with  a  hot  iron,  with 
scalding  steam,  with  a  hot  mush  of  ashes,  and  the  like.  By 
these  means  the  flesh  was  often  literally  cooked,  and  in 
time  sloughed  off  ih  a  mass. 

BIG   SHOULJDER. 

As  already  stated,  this  is  nothing  more  than  an  aggravated 
case  of  swinney.  The  flesh  and  tendons  of  the  breast  are 
affected,  as  well  as  those  of  the  shoulder,  and  shrink  away. 
The  diseased  growth  of  bone  at  the  shoulder-joint  continues 
to  grow  larger,  and  causes  correspondingly-increased  disfig- 
urement and  helplessness. 

TREATMENT. 

This,  of  course,  must  be  the  same  as  for  swinney.  But  a 
perfect  cure  is  out  of  the  question.  True,  the  anim^'s  suf- 
ferings may  be  relieved,  and  the  disease,  in  a  great  measure, 
subdued;  yet,  in  the  majority  of  instances,  it  will  be  found 
that  his  usefulness  has  been  entirely  destroyed.  %.^v.     ^* 

When  the  horse  is  in  health,  and  in  posses^n  of  his 
natural  power,  the  position  of  the  feet  is  about  fear  inches 


■J 


88  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

in  front  of  a  perpendicular  dropped  from  the  shoulder.  The 
sufferer  from  this  disease,  however,  in  consequence  of  thb 
pitching  forward  of  the  shoulder,  has  his  feet  thrown  back- 
ward nearly  twice  that  distance,  greatly  to  his  detriment  in 
moving,  and  with  the  loss  of  at  Ifeast  one-half  his  power. 

INFLAMMATION   OR   SWINNEY   OP   THE    HIP. 

This  is  much  more  rarely  encountered  than  the  correspond- 
ing disease  in  the  shoulders,  which  it  closely  resembles  in  its 
general  symptoms,  particularly  as  regards  the  withering  of 
the  muscles,  the  attendant  fever,  and  its  accompaniment  of 
diseased  feet.  From  its  comparative  unfrequency,  however, 
it  is  not  as  well  understood.  It  has  never  been  described, 
except  recently,  by  a  few  American  writers. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  must  be  the  same  as  for  swinney  in  the 
shoulders,  and  seems  much  more  efficacious.  The  corrosive 
liniment  seldom  fails  to  effect  a  perfect  cure. 

# 

SLIPPED   OR  BROKEN  HIP. 

It  would  appear  as  if  nature  had  made  ample  provision  for 
the  protection  of  the  hip-joint.  The  connection  of  the  three 
bones  of  the  haunch  by  powerful  cartilages,  which  encase 
them  on  every  side ;  the  locking  of  the  head  of  the  femur, 
or  thigh-bone,  into  a  deep  socket,  or  cup,  formed  in  the  hip- 
bone to  receive  it,  and  the  binding  together  of  this  entire 
arrangement  by  the  strongest  ligaments — these,  it  would 
seem,  should  prove  sufficient  to  defy  almost  every  injury. 
Yet  it  is  quite  possible  to  subject  the  joint  to  concussions  so 
violent  as  to  produce  dislocation.  The  head  of  the  femur  is 
wrenched  from  its  socket,  and  the  bone  drops  downward, 
giving  to  the  hip  a  peculiarly  slipped  or  broken  appearance. 
Occasionally,  tlie  head  of  the  femur  is  even  fractured.  This 
IS  treated  of  elsewhere,  under  its  proper  head. 


^1 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES. 


TREATMENT. 


Besides  allowing  absolute  exemption  from  labor,  not  much 
can  be  done.  One  or  two  applications  of  corrosive  liniment 
will  assist  in  keeping  down  inflammation,  and  preventing 
lameness.     The  shape  of  the  hips  can  never  be  restored. 

BONE   SPAVIN. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  spavin  known  to  the  farmer — bog 
and  bone  spavin.  Of  these,  only  thfi  latter  can  properly  be 
considered  in  this  connection.  The  former  is  described  in 
Chapter  YIIT. 

Bone  spavin  is  an  enlargement  which  appears  upon  the  in- 
side of  the  hock,  just  below  the  joint.  It  is  really  a  very 
formidable  disease,  usually  ruining  the  horse  entirely,  if  not 
promptly  treated.  In  some  instances  it  seems  to  do  no  ma- 
terial harm,  although  it  is  always  a  great  deformity;  while 
in  others  the  swelling  assumes  such  enormous  proportions 
that  the  joint  becomes  as  large  as  a  child's  head,  and  so  stiff 
and  lame  that  the  horse  can  barely  step  at  all. 

The  joint,  at  the  hock,  has  a  middle  bone — from  its  shape 
called  the  cube-bone — resting  upon  two  others  below  it,,  of 
quite  different  shapes  and  sizes.  Of  these,  the  larger — de- 
nominated the  shank-bone — is  situated  upon  the  outside  of 
the  leg.  The  smaller  one,  that  upon  the  inside,  is  known  as 
the  splint-bone,  on  account  of  its  thinness,  and  because,  in  - 
its  union  with  the  shank-bone,  it  resembles  a  splint  bound 
to  a  fractured  limb.  The  head  of  the  splint-bone  is  quite 
porous,  and  much  thicker,  as  well  as  softer,  than  the  other 
portions  of  it,  the  bone  increasing  in  solidity  and  strength 
toward  the  lower  end.  All  the  various  parts  of  this  compli- 
cated joint,  in  common  with  others  throughout  the  entire 
frame-work  of  the  body,  are  supplied  with  an  oily  fluid — or 
synovia,  as  anatomists  term  it — which  serves  as  a  lubricator 
to  prevent  friction  and  soreness  from  the  movements  of  the 
tendons.  It  also  performs  an  important  ofllice  in  nutrition,  as 
the  medium  for  transmitting  the  materials  necessary  to  make 


90  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

good  the  wear  and  tear  which  the  joint,  from  its  severe  labor, 
is  continually  undergoing. 

.  The  primary  cause  of  spavin  is  generally  a  blow,  a  strain, 
or  some  similar  injury.  From  this  results  a  feverish  and  un- 
healthy condition  of  the  synovial  membrane,  so  that  its  se- 
cretion changes  into  a  thick,  purulent  matter,  which  !N"ature, 
true  to  herself,  makes  a  determined  efibrt  to  discharge.  But 
the  membrane  is  so  tough  and  powerful  that  no  outlet  can 
be  forced  through  it.  The  fluid  settles  down  into  the  spongy 
bone  below,  and  a  diseased  growth  of  the  bone  follows,  form- 
ing a  lump,  or  bunch,  on  the  head  of  the  inner  splint  bone. 
Subsequently,  the  weight  and  concussion  thrown  upon  the 
parts,  while  in  active  motion,  assist  in  extending  the  inflam- 
mation to  all  the  cartilages  incasing  the  joint. 

When  only  the  splint-bone  is  affected,  as  is  fortunately  the 
case  in  most  instances,  the  knob,  or  bunch,  is  seldom  very 
large,  and  often  admits  of  a  cure.  Sometimes,  however,  the 
cube-bone,  just  above,  becomes  affected  also,  and  bony  adhe- 
sions are  formed  between  it  and  the  splint-bone,  just  below. 
The  joint  then  grows  out  of  all  shape,  and  the  animal's  lame- 
ness is  pitiable  to  behold.  For  such  a  case  there  is  no  cure. 
Medicines  can  not  even  effect  any  permanent  improvement. 
The  horse  is  ruined. 

TREATMENT. 

As  for  all  affections  of  this  class,  the  corrosive  liniment  is 
the  best  remedy.  It  should  be  applied  to  the  parts  in  the 
manner  directed  for  big  head.  After  using  it  daily  for  four 
or  five  days,  let  it  be  omitted  for  the  same  length  of  time, 
and  then  applied  again.  This  treatment  must  be  continued 
as  long  as  may  be  necessary — a  circumstance  which  will  de- 
pend greatly  upon  such  conditions  as  how  long  the  swelling 
has  been  coming  on,  how  large  the  bunch  has  become,  and 
the  degree  of  lameness.  If  the  cube-bone  is  involved,  it  will 
be  time  thrown  away  to  attempt  any  treatment.  The  best 
thing  which  can  be  done,  will  be  to  philosophically  "  accept 
the  situation,"  and  give  up  the  case  as  hopeless. 


1 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  91 

V 

Another  remedy  for  bone  spavin,  and  one  possessing  con- 
siderable merit,  is  the  mercurial  salve.  (See  Chapter  XXIY.) 
The  parts  over  the  spavin  bunches  should  be  anointed  with 
this  salve  each  morning,  using  either  the  finger  or  a  small 
mop.  It  will  be  found  best  to  dry  it  in  with  a  hot  iron.  If 
the  finger  is  used,  it  should  be  washed  as  soon  as  done,  as  the 
ointment  may  injure  the  nails.  This  remedy  will  require 
several  weeks  for  its  perfect  action,  and  must  be  continued, 
with  the  same  intervals  of  omission,  as  when  the  corrosive 
liniment  is  employed. 

Ko  after-treatment  will  be  needed,  except  good  care  gen- 
erally, and  rest. 

The  whole  treatment  of  spavin  is  simple  and  plain,  yet  far 
from  being  always  efibctual.  Upon  no  account  let  the  owner, 
suffer  the  chisel  or  mallet  to  be  used  for  the  removal  of  the 
knobs,  or  bunches ;  nor,  if  he  lays  any  claim  to  human  feel- 
ing, should  he  think  of  permitting  such  barbarous  practices 
as  burning  with  a  red-hot  iron,  or  with  the  horn  and  hot 
mush  of  ashes,  nor  of  consenting  to  that  most  cruel  savagery 
of  all,  the  employment  of  arsenic. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   CASES. 

Two  examples,  taken  from  a  large  number  which  occurred 
within  the  author's  practice,  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  differ- 
ent stages  of  bone  spavin.  The  first  happened  in  1852,  and 
was  that  of  a  fine  young  mule  belonging  to  Mr.  Joseph 
Holiman,  of  Gibson  County,  Tennessee.  The  swelling  was 
on  the  left  hind  leg,  the  lump  being  about  half  the  size  of  a 
hen's  egg.  There  was  considerable  soreness  of  the  joint, 
attended  with  fever;  otherwise,  the  animal  was  in  excellent 
condition.  Four  ounces  of  the  corrosive  liniment  were  used. 
Treatment  was  continued  about  a  month,  the  patient,  mean- 
while, having  perfect  rest,  after  which  he  was  turned  out  to 
pasture.  At  the  end  of  another  month  he  was  put  to  light 
work,  which  was  gradually  increased  in  severity  until  he  re- 
turned to  all  his  old  duties  again.  He  never  showed  any 
signs  of  lameness  afterward. 


92  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  other  case  was  one  in  which  the  cube-bone  was  in- 
volved. The  victim  was  a  small,  compact,  sorrel  mare — a 
most  beautiful  creature — for  whom  a  friend  had  lately  traded, 
in  his  over-confidence  in  the  spavin  remedy.  The  joint  was 
at  least  three  times  its  natural  size.  Although  the  corrosive 
liniment  was  applied  thoroughly,  and  for  a  long  time,  it  was 
without  avail.  The  animal  got  no  better,  and,  at  last,  the 
deceived  and  disappointed  owner  was  glad  to  give  her  away. 

CAUTIONS. 

A  horse  is  sometimes  affected  with  spavin  while  no  bunch, 
or,  at  most,  only  a  very  small  one,  is  visible.  He  steps  lame 
when  started  after  standing  for  some  time;  but,  as  he  be- 
comes heated,  the  ligaments  expand  and  accommodate  them- 
selves perfectly  to  the  swollen  parts,  his  lameness  passes 
away,  and  he  moves  as  freely  as  ever.  Traders,  and  espe- 
cially professional  jockeys,  improve  this  favorable  time  for 
disposing  of  such  animals,  and  practicing  upon  the  ignor- 
ance of  customers.  The  new  horse  is  taken  home.  After 
standing  in  the  stable  over  night,  he  comes  forth  the  next 
morning  very  lame  and  stiff,  and  great  is  the  chagrin  and 
consternation  of  the  credulous  purchaser  to  find  that  a  spav- 
ined horse  has  been  imposed  upon  him. 

To  guard  against  such  deception,  the  customer  should  feel 
the  legs  with  particular  care;  and  if  the  least  unnatural  en- 
largement, or  any  other  suspicious  indication,  is  apparent,  let 
him  insist  upon  seeing  the  horse  in  the  morning,  or  at  some 
other  time,  when  he  knows  the  animal  has  been  standing  for 
some  hours.  Another  method  is  to  ride  the  horse  into  water, 
letting  him  remain  there  long  enough  to  cool  off  thoroughly. 
If  he  is  spavined,  he  will  show  it  upon  coming  out,  by  the 
stiffness  of  the  joints  and  a  crippling  gait.  But  the  best  and 
surest  course,  when  there  is  any  reason  to  suspect  fraud,  is 
to  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  beast.  Should  the  bargain 
seem  too  good  to  be  lost  upon  mere  suspicion,  a  trustworthy 
friend  may  be  consulted,  or  a  guarantee  required. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES. 


ENLARGED  HOCK. 


Notwithstanding  the  extraordinary  provision  which  nature 
has  made  for  the  support  and  defense  of  the  hock,  this  joint 
is  very  susceptible  of  injury,  through  the  thoughtlessness  or 
cruelty  of  man.  A  bruise  or  strain  is  very  likely  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  inflammation  and  lameness.  These  may  not  prove 
permanent,  a  little  rest  sufficing  to  set  matters  all  right 
again.  On  the  other  hand,  the  enlargement  may  continue 
to  increase,  until.it  overspreads  the  entire  joint.    . 

The  horsenran  must  be  prepared  to  encounter  two  distinct 
forms  of  this  disease.  The  first  of  these  is  when  only  the 
tendons  and  cartilages  are  aftected,  in  which  stage  the  symp- 
toms will  readily  yield  to  a  few  applications  of  the  corrosive 
liniment.  The  other  form  is  that  in  which,  from  a  severe 
blow  or  concussion,  the  bone  is  bruised,  its  investing  mem- 
brane— the  periosteum — is  torn  loose  or  terribly  strained,  and 
bony  formations  take  place  on  the  surface  of  the  bone.  This 
is  a  much  graver  condition  of  affairs  than  the  other,  and  the 
owner  may  consider  himself  fortunate  if  he  can  succeed  in 
removing  it  and  restoring  the  horse  to  perfect  soundness. 
Sometimes  the  parts  enlarge  to  three  times  their  natural  size, 
with  such  stiffness  of  the  joint  that  locomotion  is  painful 
and  difficult  in  the  extreme. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  must  be  precisely  the  same  as  for  spavin. 
The  hot  iron  need  not  be  used  for  drying  in  the  liniment, 
except  in  cases  of  bony  enlargement. 

The  practitioner  must  bear  in  mind  what  has  been  inti- 
mated above;  namely,  that,  while  the  horse  may  entirely  re- 
cover from  the  cartilaginous  inflammation,  he  can  not  reason- 
ably hope  for  great  or  lasting  improvement,  if  there  has 
been  much  bony  growth.  True,  he  can  render  essential  serv- 
ice in  checking  the  disease,  and  may  even  qualify  the  animal 
for  nearly  .all  the  labors  of  the  farm ;  but  for  the  road  the 
horse  is  utterly  valueless.    A  hard  day's  work,  a  severe  strain, 


94 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


or  a  bruise,  may  bring  back  the  old 
trouble  at  any  time. 

BROKEN  HOCK. 

The  cap  of  the  hock  forming  the 
outer    part   of  the  joint    is   much 
exposed   to  injury.     It   is  occasionally 
broken  through  some  extraordinary  vi- 
olence. 

TREATMENT. 

For  this  there  is  no  treatment  but  to 
let  the  horse  rest  until  the  bone  knits 
again.  Use  the  corrosive  liniment  to 
remove  soreness 

EXPLANATION  OF   THE   CUT. 

The  cut  represents  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal causes  of  lameness  in  the  fore-legs. 

a  Enlargement  of  the  joint  of  the  elbow. 

b  "  Tying-in  "  of  the  leg  below  the  knee. 

c  The  most  frequent  situation  of  splint. 

d  An  aggravated  case  of  the  enlargement  ac- 
companying sprain  of  the  back  sinews. 

e  The  situation  of  wind-galls. 

/  The  first  appearance  of  ring-bone. 

g  The  situation  of  sand-crack  in  the  fore-leg. 
(See  Chap.  IV.) 

h  The  situation  of  what  veterinarians  call  mal- 
lenders. 

RING-BONE. 

The  coffin-bone,  so-called,  is  properly 
the  bone  of  the  foot,  occupying  the  space 
within  the  hoof  (whence  its  name,  the 
hoof  being  its  coffin).  With  the  suspen- 
sory ligament  that  surrounds  it,  and  the 
horny  substance  of  the  hoof,  it  composes 
the  foot.  At  its  upper  end,  which  is  on  a 
level  with  the  top  of  the  hoof,  is  the  lower  joint  of  the  leg. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  95 

called  the  coffin-joint.  This  bone  is  very  soft,  and  filled 
with  a  multitude  of  little  interstices,  through  which  pass 
the  blood-vessels  of  the  feet.  It  is  very  subject  to  both  dis- 
ease and  external  injury. 

When  it  receives  the  latter,  the  lubricating  fluid,  or  syn- 
ovia, of  the  coffin-joint  becomes  diseased,  and,  settling  down 
into  the  spongy  bone  below,  a  bony  enlargement  is  the  con- 
sequence. At  once  the  foot  begins  to  show  a  gradually-in- 
creasing lump,  or  bunch,  at  the  point  where  the  hair  and 
hoof  join.  Its  development  is  chiefly  laterally,  and  thus  it 
finally  encircles  the  entire  joint ;  hence  the  term  ring-bone. 

What  is  known  as  club-foot  is  simply  ring-bone  at  its 
worst  stage.  In  this  condition,  the  horse  is  nearly  useless 
for  general  purposes,  while  the  hope  of  a  cure  is  so  remote 
that  he  is  hardly  worth  any  pains  at  the  practitioner's  hands. 

.     TREATMENT. 

Bing-bone  admits  of  a  cure  only  in  its  earlier  stages.  Even 
then  it  is  effected  with  difficulty,  and  can  seldom  be  relied 
upon  as  permanent,  as  a  strain  or  a  contusion  may  bring 
back  the  affiiction  at  any  time.  Still,  there  is  always  a  fair 
prospect,  at  this  period  of  the  disease,  that  the  horse  may  be 
made  fit  for  some  years  of  moderate  service. 

The  treatment  must  be  the  same  as  for  spavin  in  every 
particular.  Above  all,  the  horse  must  have  a  long  continu- 
ance of  unbroken  rest. 

STIFLE. 

lS[o  joint  in  the  horse's  structure  but  is  liable  to  strains, 
bruises,  and  similar  hurts,  and,  although  one  of  the  strongest 
in  his  whole  frame- work,  the  stifle-joint  forms  no  exception 
to  the  general  rule.  It  is  sometimes  badly  wrenched,  gener- 
ally from  the  leg  becoming  fastened  or  hung  in  a  false  posi- 
tion. Swelling,  inflammation,  and  the  most  painful  lameness 
succeed.  In  some  parts  of  the  country  this  is  popularly  called 
stifle,  by  which  it  is  meant  that  the  patella — the  small  bone 
of  the  joint,  corresponding  to  the  knee-pan  in  man — has  been 
dislocated. 


t% 


96  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

This  opinion  is  assuredly  erroneous.  Dislocation  may  be 
regarded  as  an  impossibility,  unless  the  tendons  which  bind 
the  joint  together  have  been  first  either  cut  or  torn  apart. 
"Were  such  displacement  of  the  patella  to  occur,  it  is  little 
likely  that  the  animal  would  ever  step  upon  that  leg  again. 
The  writer  has  examined  and  treated  a  large  number  of 
horses  said  to  be  stifled,  but  in  no  single  instance  was  he  able 
to  discover  satisfactory  evidence  of  dislocation.  Swelling,  at 
the  stifle-joint  is  exceedingly  conspicuous;  and  from  this  cir- 
cumstance, together  with  the  slow  progress  of  the  patient's 
recovery,  the  uninformed  are  deceived  into  the  belief  that 
there  must  have  been  some  displacement. 

TREATMENT. 

Counter-irritation  is  the  only  treatment  which  can  be  of 
the  least  benefit.  To  secure  this,  let  the  parts  be  well  rubbed 
with  the  corrosive  liniment,  until  it  has  been  applied  three 
or  four  times  each  alternate  day.  Rest  and  the  reparative 
energies  of  nature  will  do  the  remainder.  It  may  be  months^ 
perhaps,  before  the  horse  can  be  worked  again ;  but  on  this 
point,  as  in  all  similar  cases,  the  owner  must  be  patient. 

Perhaps  the  joint  never  becomes  as  strong  as  it  was  before 
sustaining  the  injury.  There  is  an  equal  doubt  whether  the 
animal  is  not  more  liable  than  formerly  to  the  same  disable- 
ment. Good  grounds  for  hope  do  certainly  exist,  however ; 
for  not  a  few  so-called  "stifled"  horses  have  been  restored 
to  unimpaired  and  permanent  soundness. 

,  SPLINT. 

This  is  a  bony  enlargement  upon  the  inner  splint-bone, 
whence  its  name.  In  its  origin,  symptoms,  and  development 
it  is  nearly  identical  with  bone  spavin,  from  which  it  difiTers 
in  no  marked  respect,  except  as  regards  location.  This 
comes  upon  the  side  of  the  bone ;  the  other,  at  its  head.  It 
is,  however,  a  much  less  formidable  disorder  than  spavin. 
The  enlargement  seldom  attains  any  great  dimensions,  and, 
in  a  large  majority  of  cases,  none  of  the  important  ligaments 


m 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.  -  97 

are  involved.  It  usually  occurs  upon  the  fore  legs,  but  is 
sometimes  seen  upon  the  hind  ones  also — in  either  case,  upon 
the  inside,  of  course. 

Splint  is  caused  by  a  blow  or  contusion,  most  commonly 
by  the  horse  himself  striking  the  leg  with  the  opposite  hoof, 
by  which  means  the  periosteum  is  injured.  The  office  of  this 
membrane  is  to  separate  the  skin  and  underlying  cellular 
tissues  from  the  rough  surface  of  the  bone,  and,  also,  as 
before  stated,  to  act  as  a  vehicle  for  the  nutrition  of  the 
latter's  entire  structure.  These  functions  are  necessarily  de- 
ranged when  the  periosteum  is  seriously  bruised,  or  is  torn 
loose  from  its  proper  connection;  and  the  bony  secretions — 
consisting  principally  of  phosphate  of  lime,  and  which,  in  the 
natural  arrangement,  are  distributed  throughout  the  cellular 
tissue  within  the  bones — are  deposited  upon  the  surface,  form- 
ing a  lump  beneath  the  skin.  Soreness  is  occasioned,  at  first, 
while  the  membrane  is  painfully  stretched  by  the  unnatural 
enlargement  of  the  bone ;  but  IN'ature  usually  accommodates 
herself  to  the  new  condition  of  afiairs,  so  that,  in  time,  this 
entirely  disappears. 

Occasion all}^,  splint  shows  itself  upon  some  part  of  the  leg 
where  it  interferes  with  a  large  tendon,  or  it  may  appear 
immediately  on  the  joint,  in  either  of  which  cases,  of  course, 
it  causes  lameness;  otherwise  it  does  but  little  harm,  further 
than  its  unsightliness  is  concerned. 

TREATMENT. 

After  the  horse  reaches  the  age  of  nine  or  ten  years,  splint 
almost  invariably  disappears  so  far  as  to  be  hardly  noticeable, 
and,  in  most  instances,  it  may  be  as  well  to  let  it  alone.  If 
treatment  is  decided  upon,  however,  the  corrosive  liniment 
may  be  applied  two  or  three  times,  as  directed  for  spavin,  to 
remove  the  soreness  and  lameness. 

BROKEN   KNEKS — STUMBLING. 

Stumbling  can  not  properly  be  reckoned  among  the  vices 
of  the  horse,  notwithstanding  most  writers  classify  it  as  such. 


M  '    AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

It  is  simply  either  the  effect  of  some  disease  of  the  shoulder 
or  of  the  lower  joint  of  the  leg,  or  is  a  bad  habit  resulting 
from  defective  structure. 

In  the  latter  case,  the  trouble  arises  from  the  feet  being 
too  nearly  in  line  with  the  direction  of  the  leg.  From  the 
hoof  to  the  upper  pastern  joint,  the  ankle  should  incline  at 
an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees.  Sometimes,  however, 
one  meets  with  a  horse  whose  ankle  is  stuck  straight  down 
into  the  top  of  the  hoof,  like  a  post  in  the  ground,  the  hoof 
being  erect  and  round  like  a  cup.  Such  an  animal  is  almost 
sure  to  be  a  noted  stumbler.  It  would  be  folly,  indeed,  to 
buy  or  trade  for  him  without  first  critically  examining  his 
knees,  and  making  minute  inquiries  as  to  his  habits. 

The  habitual  stumbler  is  not  only  slow  and  uncertain  in 
his  movements,  but  is  really  dangerous  in  nearly  every  ca 
pacity  in  which  he  can  be  used.  If  he  is  under  the  saddle, 
the  rider  runs  a  constant  risk  of  being  pitched  over  his  head 
and  carried  home  with  a  fractured  limb  or  a  broken  neck.  In 
the  wagon,  he  is  almost  sure  to  fall  while  ascending  the 
steepest  hill,  and  when,  of  course,  his  services  are  most 
needed.  Not  content  with  simply  breaking  the  shafts,  when 
hitched  to  a  buggy  or  carriage,  he  has  the  most  exasperating 
fashion  of  going  through  with  his  peculiar  evolutions  in  the 
midst  of  the  largest  crowd  to  be  found  in  the  whole  day's 
travel,  when  one's  feelings  are  most  likely  to  be  mortified  by 
such  awkwardness.  To  drive  him  by  the  side  of  a  young  or 
skittish  horse  would  be  almost  sure  to  end  in  a  runaway,  from 
his  companion's  fright  when  he  falls  down. 

There  is  but  one  place  for  the  stumbler.  That  is  in  the 
plow.  Here  he  can  do  no  harm,  if  hitched  up  alone,  or  with 
an  old  or  gentle  horse.  Beware  of  a  stumbler.  His  possesssor 
is  cheated,  no  matter  how  low  the  terms  upon  which  he  fs 
purchased. 

r 

SWAY- BACK. 

This  is  not  a  disease,  but  a  deformity,  produced  by  persons 
jumping  upon  the  back  of  the  young  colt  before  it  is  strong 


I 


^   • 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BONES.        ^  99 

enough  to  bear  such  a  weight,  and  thus  bending  downward 
the  soft,  unformed  bones  of  the  vertebra,  whose  points  are 
pressed  together  above  and  strained  apart  below.  The  back 
is  not  broken,  but  terribly  bent,  and  by  the  animal's  growth 
is  permanently  fixed  in  this  condition.  Such  a  horse  may 
be  quite  serviceable,  and  the  back-bone  seem  but  little 
weakened ;  but  he  is  never  adapted  for  rapid  motion  of  any 
kind,  and  his  disfigurement  is  so  marked  as  to  detract  mate- 
rially from  his  market  value. 

For  such  a  case  no  treatment  is  possible.  ^N'ature  will  do 
all  that  can  be  done.  The  foolish  practice  which  causes 
sway-bafck  should  be  discontinued  altogether.  It  is  early 
enough  to  begin  riding  the  colt  when  he  is  nearing  the  close 
of  his  second  year.  At  that  age  a  small  boy  may  be  per- 
mitted to  get  upon  his  back  carefully,  but  a  full-grown  man 
should  not  attempt  to  do  this  for  several  months  later. 


^i 
m 


100  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

D18EASES  OF  THE  FEET. 
ULCERATION   OP   THE   FOOT;   OR,   NAVICULAR   DISEASE. 

There  is  one  species  of  lameness  to  which  the  horse  is 
subject  that  has  puzzled  the  farmer  and  scientific  practitioner 
not  a  little.  Very  little  is  known  in  relation  to  it,  beyond 
its  external  developments.  It  is  not  very  frequent,  yet  some- 
times occurs.  The  only  wonder  concerning  it  is,  that  it  is 
not  found  in  much  more  frequent  operation. 

The  horse  is  discovered  to  be  lame ;  but  what  the  part  is 
•that  is  afiected  is  the  question  with  the  owner.  The  trouble 
sometimes  seems  to  be  in  the  foot,  and  then  again  in  the 
shoulder.  At  times  the  animal  limps,  as  though  pricked  by 
a  nail.  After  a  while  the  lameness  passes  away  so  nearly  that 
it  is  scarcely  noticeable;  but  presently  it  returns  worse  than 
ever.  All  this  time  a  disease  has  been  establishing  itself  in 
the  back  part  of  the  foot — the  heel — which,  if  neglected, 
will  ruin  the  horse  entirely.  This  has  been  called  the  dis- 
ease of  the  navicular  joint. 

There  is  a  bone  lying  between  the  coffin-bone  and  lower 
pastern,  which,  extending  some  distance  back  of  these,  forms 
the  projection  of  the  heel,  and  rests  upon  the  frog.  It  is 
denominated  the  shuttle  or  navicular  bone,  the  latter  name 
being  given  to  it  on  account  of  its  supposed  resemblance  in 
shape  to  the  outline  of  a  ship.  Its  use  seems  to  be  to  im- 
part increased  solidity  to  the  connection  between  the  coffin- 
bone  and  the  joint  above,  and  to  enable  the  flexor  tendon 
which  passes  over  it,  and  is  inserted  into  the  bottom  of  the 
coffin-bone,  to  act  with  more  power  and  pliancy  in  giving 
strength  and  motion  to  the  foot.  It  forms  a  sort  of  joint 
with  the  tendon  and  other  bone. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET. 


101 


The  navicular  bone  and  joint  are  liable  to  various  injuries, 
and  especially  to  strains  and  bruises.  They  are  also  very 
apt  to  become  involved  in  all  cases  of  injury  to  the  frog, 
which  is  much  exposed  to  accident.  It  is  cut  or  bruised  in 
traveling  over  stony  roads.  The  careless  smith  frequently 
neglects  to  pare  it  off,  and  permits  it  to  grow  until  it  presses 
upon  the  ground ;  or  else  knows  no  better  than  to  pare  the 
hoof  behind  a  great  deal  too  much,  by  which  species  of  mal- 
practice the  heel  is  made  to  drop  too  low,  and  the  unpro- 
tected frog  thrust  upon  the  ground.  It  is  often  wounded 
by  sharp  stones,  points  of  frozen  earth,  and  the  like. 


A.  Os  BafTraginis. 

B.  Oscoronte. 

C.  Os  podis. 

D.  Os  naviculare. 

E.  Perforans  and  perforatas  tendons. 
G.  Inferior  sesamoidal  ligament. 


H.  Cleft  of  frog. 

I.    Side  of  frog  cleft. 

J.    Sole. 

K.  Crust. 

L.  Coronary  substance. 


From  these  causes  a  settled  disease  of  the  joint  is  apt  to 
be  produced.  Deep-seated  ulcers  occur,  and  the  membrane 
and  tendon  are  eaten  away.  An  abscess  is  sometimes  formed, 
which  breaks,  at  length,  and  copious  discharges  of  matter 
continue  for  a  long  time.  When  this  happens,  the  horse 
may  recover,  as  this  is  the  ver}^  end  always  to  be  sought  in 


102  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

any  mode  of  treatment.  Such  cases,  nevertheless,  always 
prove  exceedingly  obstinate.  But  in  most  instances  the  dis- 
ease takes  an  entirely  different  turn.  ]^o  abscess  is  formed, 
but  the  navicular  bone  becomes  diseased,  and  commences  to 
decay;  the  hoof  shrinks,  the  portions  toward  the  back  of 
the  foot  being  drawn  together;  and  now  the  horse  suffers 
from  what  farmers  call  "  narrow  heel." 

Still  another  fearful  development  of  the  disease  may  take 
place.  In  this  the  bone  begins  enlarging,  the  disease  then 
assuming  the  same  features  as  ring-bone  and  spavin.  Adhe- 
sions between  the  bone  and  the  lower  pastern,  and  also  with 
the  coffin-bone,  presently  follow ;  and  eventually  the  foot  is 
ruined,  when  the  horse,  of  course,  is  worthless.  The  final 
history  of  such  a  case,  which  is  well  worth  tracing  out,  is 
about  as  follows:  Enlargement  of  the  bone  goes  on;  the  de- 
posits of  bony  matter  upon  the  surface  increases,  and  the 
three  bones  above  named  are  consolidated,  forming  a  soft 
and  spongy  mass  of  bony  matter,  which  presses  the  hoof  out 
in  all  directions.  To  such  a  size  does  this  unnatural  growth 
attain,  that  it  often  looks  more  like  the  head  of  a  maul  than 
any  thing  else.  Hence  the  name  club-foot,  which  applies  to 
the  incurable  stages  of  this  disease  and  of  ring-bone  alike. 
What  horseman  is  there  who  is  not  familiar  with  this  mon- 
strosity and  its  deplorable  effects? 

TREATMENT. 

The  whole  philosophy  of  this  is  simply  to  produce  an 
external  development  of  the  disease,  by  the  formation  of  an 
abscess  situated  near  enough  to  the  surface  to  readily  force 
an  outlet  for  the  discharge  of  its  purulent  matter.  If  this 
can  be  done,  there  is  reason  to  be  hopeful  concerning  the 
final  result;  if  otherwise,  the  horse  is  ruined  forever.  The 
most  powerful  counter-irritation  will  be  necessary  in  the 
region  of  the  heel  and  the  entire  back  part  of  the  foot. 
Too  much  can  not  well  be  done  in  this  direction.  An  in- 
flammation must  be  occasioned  upon  the  surface  superior  to 
that  of  the  deep-seated  disease  of  the  joint  and  bone. 


i 


:^ISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.  103 

No  remedy  can  be  employed  so  efficient  for  this  purpose 
as  the  corrosive  liniment.  In  addition  to  producing  a  quick 
and  active  irritation,  more  powerful  than  any  possible  sub- 
stitute, its  superior  properties  as  a  volatile,  penetrating  lini- 
ment make  it  just  the  remedy  needed.  If  any  thing  can 
reach  the  seat  of  the  disease,  this  will  do  it. 

Apply  the  liniment  to  the  heel  and  back  part  of  the  foot, 
and  also  to  the  bottom  of  the  latter  and  to  the  frog.  Ex- 
amine carefully  the  bottom  of  the  foot,  to  see  whether  it 
has  begun  to  decay.  If  so,  cut  out  as  much  as  possible  with 
a  chisel  or  knife ;  after  which  apply  the  liniment  freely,  dry- 
ing it  in  well  with  a  hot  iron.  The  twitch  must  previously 
have  been  put  upon  the  animal's  nose,  to  make  him  stand 
still,  and  the  medicine  thoroughly  heated.  Make  the  appli- 
cation of  the  liniment  every  other  day,  and  continue  this 
course  until  the  horse  is  well.  When  the  ulcer  breaks  and 
matter  begins  discharging,  you  may  feel  assured  that  the 
disease  is  mastered.  After  this,  a  cure  is  only  a  question 
of  time. 

Keep  your  horse  in  a  cool,  dry  stable;  or,  if  pasture  is  in 
season,  let  him  run  on  the  grass.  During  cold  rains,  be  cer- 
tain to  have  him  in  the  stable,  and  always  keep  him  out 
of  the  wet  while  the  liniment  is  being  used.  If  his  condi- 
tion is  not  good,  bleed  once,  and  give  a  pound  of  sulphur 
in  a  bran-mash,  or  in  some  boiled  oats,  or  in  his  cut  feed. 
Make  four  doses  of  the  sulphur,  and  give  one  of  them  every 
second  day.  If  he  refuses  this  food,  let  him  have  nothing 
else  until  he  does  eat  it.  A  little  abstinence  may  be  of  ben- 
efit to  him 

THIS   DISEASE   THE   CAUSE   OF   MANY   OTHERS. 

This  disease  is  quite  commonly  the  cause  of  many  of  the 
other  affections  of  the  feet.  It  has  a  great  variety  of  de- 
velopments. We  will  mention  some  of  the  difterent  diseases 
which  may  have  their  origin  in  this.  One  of  these  is  ring- 
bone,* in  which  the  bone  grows  out  in  front.  Foot  evil  is 
another.     In  this  there  is  a  general  oozing  out  of  the  dis- 


■^ 


104  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORS:^  BOOK.    • 

eased  matter  all  around  the  top  of  the  foot,  through  the 
coronary  ring.  Contraction  of  the  hoof,  or  narrow  heel,  is 
usually  the  result  of  caries,  or  decay  of  the  bones  of  this 
joint,  the  back  portions  of  the  hoof  dropping  in  together. 
Thrush  is  but  the  beginning  of  foot  evil,  the  purulent  mat- 
ter collected  at  the  joint  escaping  through  the  heel  and  frog 
of  the  foot.  Greasy  heel  is  a  case  of  enlarged  thrush,  and 
often  from  the  same  causes.  Tloof  rot,  or  pummiced  feet, 
often  accompany  navicular  disease.  Cracked  hoof,  or  sand 
cracks,  proceed  from  brittle  hoofs,  which  this  ailment  produces. 
It  must  be  understood  that  these  diseases  may  have  an 
origin  independent  of  that  which  we  are  now  considering; 
but  in  a  majority  of  cases  they  are  found  in  connection  with 
this  joint  disease,  and  in  a  large  number  of  instances  are 
produced  by  it. 

CRACKED   HOOFS. 

This  is  otherwise  called  sand  cracks,  from  the  prevalent 
opinion  that  such  cracks  occur  in  sandy  regions  much  oft- 
en er  than  elsewhere.  Such  is  not  the  case,  however.  This 
belief  has  obtained  from  the  fact  that  these  cracks  are  lia- 
ble to  become  filled  with  sand,  when  they  are  always  very 
troublesome.  Of  course,  where  there  is  no  sand  this  cir- 
cumstance does  not  happen.  Cases  of  this  kind  are  com- 
paratively rare  in  this  country,  so  much  so,  indeed,  as 
scarcely  to  call  for  any  mention  here. 

Cracked  hoof  is  consequent  upon  a  long-standing  diseased 
and  feverish  condition  of  the  feet,  from  which  causes  the 
hoof  becomes  hard,  dry,  and  brittle,  until,  at  length,  it  splits 
open.  The  elasticity  and  toughness  of  the  healthy  hoof  are 
gone.  Harrow  heel  is  another  cause  of  cracking,  when  fever 
has  made  the  hoof  hard  and  dry.  The  back  of  the  heel  drops 
in,  which  naturally  occasions  cracking  in  front.  Hoof-rot 
produces  the  same  efiect.  The  decay  of  the  bottom  of  the 
feet  is  sometimes  very  great,  leaving  but  a  mere  shell  of  the 
hoof,  the  sides  of  which  have  become  very  thin  and  brittle. 
When  the  horse  has  been  kept  shod  for  a  long  time,  and  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.         4,     '  .106 

smith  has  neglected  the  necessary  paring  when  removing  the 
shoes,  the  hoof,  especially  during  rapid  motion,  is  very  apt 
to  split  in  the  quarters.  This  generally  takes  place  on  the 
inside  of  the  hind  part  of  the  foot.  In  this  it  differs  from 
contraction,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  usually  causes  the  crack 
to  come  in  front. 

The  fore-feet  are  more  subject  to  cracks  than  the  hind 
ones.  Founder  does  the  mischief  here.  It  is  the  general 
cause  of  brittleness.  Brittleness  produces  contraction,  and 
contraction  splits  the  hoof.  All  these  diseases  often  exist, 
and  no  crack  occur.  But  hoofs  thus  diseased  are  much  more 
liable  to  crack  than  others,  and  when  cracks  do  take  place 
in  them,  we  may  be  certain  their  true  causes  are  those  here 
indicated.  ,  #► 

Cracks  in  the  front  part  of  the  hoof  often  extend  to  the 
top,  or  the  coronary  ring.  They  are  not  of  uniform  depth, 
sometimes  penetrating  only  part  way  through  the  hoof.  In 
this  case,  they  do  but  little  harm,  and,  with  a  good  shoe, 
the  horse  will  do  excellent  service  for  years,  if  used  moder- 
ately. The  only  danger  seems  to  be  the  liability  of  the  crack 
to  deepen  to  the  sensitive  part  of  the  foot,  when  it  inevitabl}^ 
causes  lameness.  When  it  is  situated  in  the  quarter,  it  seldom 
extends  more  than  half  way  up  the  hoof,  yet  it  msij  be  deep 
and  sore. 

TREATMENT. 

There  is  but  little  difficulty  in  effecting  a  cure,  which  is 
only  a  question  of  time.  Remove  the  disease  which  is  its 
cause,  and  the  crack  will  readily  heal  over.  The  former, 
then,  is  the  first  thing  to  be  accomplished,  and  when  this  is. 
effected  the  crack  will  generally  get  well  of  itself.  If  the 
crack  is  in  front,  file  off  its  edges  nearly  to  the  bottom. 
Then  lay  a  narrow  strip  of  canvas  cloth,  about  an  inch  in 
width,  lengthwise  over  it,  and,  outside  of  this,  still  another, 
covered  with  a  thick  coating  of  adhesive  salve,  or  of  pitch. 
Care  should  be  taken  that  no  sand  or  dirt  is  left  in  the  crack, 
under  the  cloth. 

At  the  top  of  the  crack,  if  it  extends  only  part  way  up  the 


106 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


foot,  burn  the  hoof  with  a  hot  iron,  from  its  top  to  the  top 
of  the  crack,  and  on  each  side  of  the  latter  for  the  space  of 
one-fourth  of  an.  inch.  Burn  the  hoof  to  a  crisp  down  to 
the  live  flesh;  and  should  the  crack  seem  inclined  to  split 
open  when  the  horse  steps,  let  the  smith  drive  a  nail  through 
the  bottom  of  the  hoof,  so  as  to  rivet  the  divided  parts  to- 
gether. The  nail  should  be  clinched  in  the  same  manner  as 
when  driven  through  the  shoe,  and  its  head  and  point  filed 
off  smooth.  Sometimes  it  will  be  found  best  to  use  two  nails — 
one  at  the  bottom,  and  the  other  part  way  up  the  hoof.  A 
small  seam  may  be  cut  on  each  side  of  the  crack  to  receive 
the  upper  one,  and  the  nail  driven  through  and  clinched. 
Care  should  be  taken  that  no  dirt  or  sand  be  left  in  the  crack, 
and  then   a  coat  of  pitch  spread  over  the  entire  opening. 


THE  FOOT. 


a  The  external  crust  seen  at 
the  quarter. 

b  The  coronary  ring. 

c  The  little  horny  plates 
lining  the  crust. 

d  The  same  continued  over 
the  bars.        ^ 

e  e  The  two  concave  sur- 
faces of  the  inside  of  the 
horny  frog. 

/  That  which  externally  is 
g  the  cleft  of  the  frog. 

ff  The  bars. 

h  The  rounded  part  of  the 
heels,  belonging  to  the  frog. 


/    i 


This  smaller  cut  exhibits,  in  as  satisfactory  a  manner,  the  mechanism  and 
structure  of  the  base  of  the  foot. 


a  a  The  frog. 

b  The  sole. 
c  c  The  bars. 
d  d  The  crust. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.  107 

This  will  prevent  the  split  from  extending  higher  up.  A 
horse  should  never  be  used  while  suffering  from  cracked 
hoof,  except  for  light  purposes ;  and  if  the  crack  is  through 
to  the  sensitive  part,  he  should  have  entire  rest  until  quite 
well. 

The  time  necessary  to  heal  the  crack  will  depend,  of  course, 
upon  its  extent  and  depth.  The  hoof  will  grow  out  a  little 
more  than  half  an  inch  per  month.  By  simply  measuring 
the  length  of  the  crack,  any  one  can  compute  the  length  of  \  I 

time  it  will  require  to  complete  the  cure.  Meantime,  if  the 
adhesive  cloths  come  off,  put  on  others.     In  some  cases  it  ^ 

may  be  well  to  put  on  the  shoe.  In  quarter  cracks  they 
should  always  be  fastened  together  at  the  bottom  with  a  nail 
or  rivet. 

HOOF   ROT. 

«. 

What  is  generally  known  as  tender  feet  is  one  of  the  most 
common  afflictions  to  which  the  horse  is  subject.  No  animal 
has  tender  feet  unless  they  are  diseased  or  worn  off.  When 
in  a  healthy  condition,  the  hoof  is  very  hard  and  tough, 
having  a  bluish  or  limestone  color,  and  is  admirably  adapted 
by  ITature  to  resist  the  injurious  effects  of  the  severe  con- 
cussions which  they  necessarily  undergo.  Instead  of  the  term 
"  tender  feet,"  it  would  be  more  correct  and  explicit  to  use 
that  of  "  hoof  rot."  This  is  what  the  disease  really  is.  By 
the  operation  of  a  kind  of  dry  rot,  which  produces  a  feverish  ^ 

state  of  all  the  parts,  the  hoof  and  bottom  of  the  foot  decays 
or  perishes  away.  The  primary  cause  is  a  diseased  condition 
of  the  feet  and  legs. 

*  Hoof  rot  is  found  in  connection  with  spavin,  ring-bone, 
swinney,  foot  evil,  and  often  with  the  disease  of  the  navicu- 
lar joint.  It  seldom  fails  to  accompany  chronic  founder. 
While  these  diseases  often  occasion  hoof  rot,  they,  upon  the 
other  hand,  are  as  frequently  excited  and  brought  on  by  it;.  .  f- 

and,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  spavin,  ring-bone,  and  foot  evil 
would  not  occur  were  it  not  for  this  predisposing  cause. 
When  the  spavin  or  coffin -joint  is  injured,  the  horse  would: 


s 


108  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

generally  recover,  in  all  probability,  if  the  feverish  influences 
arising  from  the  diseased  condition  of  the  feet  were  not  so 
much  against  him,  and  which,  constantly  irritating  and  ex- 
citing the  joint,  finally  settles  upon  it  a  permanent  local  dis- 
ease. I^ot  unfrequently,  however,  the  disorder  has  an  exist- 
ence independent  of  any  other,  being  the  consequences  of 
bruises  or  wounds  which  the  foot  sustains  in  traveling  ovei 
hard,  rough  roads,  or  from  their  becoming  worn  off.  Among 
other  causes  of  the  same  nature,  are  such  as  permitting  the 
shoe  to  remain  on  too  long,  or  keeping  the  horse  constantly 
shod,  and  compelling  him  to  stand  in  a  wet,  unwholesome  stable. 

SYMPTOMS. 

The  disease  may  be  recognized  by  the  dry,  chalky  appear- 
ance of  the  bottom  of  the  feet,  which  may  be  easily  dug  out 
with  a  knife  or  chisel.  The  frog  of  the  foot  is  obviously  di- 
minished in  size,  and  the  joints,  especially  the  ankle-joint, 
become  sw^ollen,  when  the  horse  remains  standing  for  any 
length  of  time.  The  steps  are  short  and  lame,  indicating 
plainly  the  soreness  of  the  feet,  the  affected  member  being 
put  forward,  and  thus  rested ;  or,  if  both  feet  are  diseased, 
the  horse  will  advance  first  one  foot  and  then  the  other.  In 
most  respects  the  symptoms  resemble  those  of  swinney,  which 
hoof  rot  very  commonly  accompanies,  and  for  which  the  in- 
experienced horseman  is  very  apt  to  mistake  it. 

TREATMENT. 

When  the  disease  exists  alone,  the  corrosive  liniment  will 
always  effect  a  cure ;  but  in  case  it  is  only  the  result  of  an- 
other disorder,  that  must  first  be  cured  before  commencing 
the  direct  treatment  for  this. 

Clean  off  the  bottom  of  the  feet,  dig  out  the  pumiced, 
chalky  matter,  and  pare  down  the  sides  of  the  hoof  and  also 
the  frog.  Wash  the  bottom  of  the  foot  with  the  liniment 
each  morning  for  three  or  four  days  in  succession,  always 
drying  it  in  well  with  a  hot  iron.  Omit  the  application  for 
two  days,  and  then  continue  as  before. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.  "^    t    .    109 

This  disease  does  not  usually  unfit  the  horse  for  moderate 
service,  but  care  must  be  taken  to  keep  him  out  of  the  wet 
while  undergoing  treatment.  After  a  few  weeks  he  may  be 
safely  returned  to  full  duty,  and  shod,  if  necessary. 

CORNS. 

These  are  the  great  bugbears  of  the  stable.  Lameness  in 
the  feet  forms  such  a  common  complaint  among  horses,  that 
the  stable-keeper  can  not  evade  the  demand  upon  his 
fancied  attainments  in  horse  lore  for  the  explanation  of  the 
phenomena  in  some  way.  It  is,  therefore,  customary  with 
many  men,  when  any  thing  is  the  matter  with  the  horse's 
foot  which  they  are  unable  distinctly  to  account  for,  to  get 
rid  of  the  difficulty  by  pronouncing  it  to  be  corns.  Some 
practitioners,  by  no  means  backward  in  claiming  scientific 
proficiency,  have  made  the  same  mistake,  much  to  the  detri- 
ment of  their  professional  reputation. 

An  instance  of  this  was  afibrded  in  the  spring  of  1866,  in 
the  case  of  a  beautiful  trotting-mare,  belonging  to  a  gentle- 
man in  Cincinnati.  For  a  long  time  she  had  been  under 
professional  treatment  for  corns;  and  yet,  when  the  writer 
was  called  to  examine  her,  it  was  the  task  of  but  a  few 
minutes  to  demonstrate  the  fact  that  she  was  suftering 
from  nothing  less  than  the  dreadful  disease  of  the  navicu- 
lar joint. 

We  have  never  found  any  affection  of  the  horse's  foot 
which  could  properly  be  termed  corns,  but  have  treated 
scores  of  cases  exhibiting  the  peculiar  condition  of  heat  and 
soreness  which  is  known  as  such.  This  is  a  redness  and  in- 
flammation of  the  bottoms  of  the  hoofs,  generally  having  its 
commencement  in  the  quarters,  on  each  side  of  the  frog.  It 
occurs  oftener  in  the  inside  than  on  the  outside  quarter,  and 
in  the  fore-feet  than  in  the  hinder  ones.  In  all  cases  that  we 
have  examined,  it  is  an  accompaniment  of  hoof  rot.  The 
bottoms  of  the  hoofs  decay  until  the  disease  reaches  the  sen- 
sible portions  of  the  foot,  and  the  blood  settles  down  in 
patches,  ramifying  in  all  directions  in  little  lines,  which  give 


110    '  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

to  the  parts  a  peculiar  blood-shot  appearance,  and  form  what 
have  been  mistaken  for  corns.  The  latter  name  has  no 
proper  applicability,  and  seems  to  have  been  adopted  simply 
because  none  better  was  known.  At  any  rate,  it  is  the  off- 
spring of  the  prevalent  ignorance  concerning  that  condition 
of  the  feet  just  described. 

Corns,  so  called,  are  nothing  more  than  the  soreness  caused 
by  hoof  rot — one  development,  or  another  edition,  of  that 
disease.  They  belong  to  the  same  family,  and  have  the  same 
pedigree,  so  to  speak,  as  thrush,  grease,  foot  evil,  and  narrow 
heel. 

A  more  serious  result  of  this  diseased  condition  of  the  foot 
sometimes  occurs.  The  inflammation  reaches  within  the 
horny  sole  of  the  hoof,  and  ulceration  takes  place  there.  The 
abscess  thus  formed  forces  a  vent,  sometimes  through  the 
heel,  but  oftener  through  the  coronary  ring  at  the  top  of  the 
hoof.  Here  the  disease  assumes  different  phases.  Sometimes 
it  runs  into  foot  evil,  and,  extending  entirely  round  the  foot, 
brings  the  hoof  off  altogether.  When  the  abscess  bursts 
forth  in  the  form  of  a  running  ulcer,  it  often  rises  and  breaks 
a  number  of  times,  and  may  continue  discharging  for  months. 

TREATMENT. 

As  the  state  of  the  feet  whence  corns  proceed  originates 
from  hoof- rot,  the  remedy  must  be  the  same  as  for  that  com- 
plaint. Cure  hoof  rot  and  the  corn  will  disappear.  If  an 
abscess  has  not  yet  been  formed,  the  corrosive  liniment  will 
right  matters  without  difficulty.  Remove  the  shoe,  and  pare 
the  hoof  down  as  far  as  can  well  be  done.  Pare  down  the 
frog,  also,  and  dig  out  all  the  chalky,  pumiced  hoof;  then 
apply  the  liniment  to  the  heels  and  the  bottoms  of  the  feet, 
using  a  hot  iron  to  dry  it  in  thoroughly.  Repeat  the  appli- 
cation five  or  six  times ;  but  it  -will  not  be  necessary  to  use 
the  hot  iron  more  than  once  in  drying  it  in  at  the  heels, 
though  at  the  bottoms  several  times. 

In  the  summer  of  1866,  the  writer  treated  a  case  of  corns 
in  a  horse  belonging  to  Mr.  Early,  of  Petersburg,  Boone 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.  "  HI 

County,  Kj.,  which  was  one  of  the  worst  he  ever  saw.  The 
rotten,  pumiced  hoof  was,  at  least,  half  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness, and  extending  back  over  half  the  bottom  were  a  number 
of  angry-looking  patches,  while  the  sole,  at  each  point  of  the 
quarters,  was  perfectly  blood-shot.  The  case  was  fast  hast- 
ening to  the  still  worse  determination  of  cracked  heels,  or 
grease.  The  leg  was  badly  swollen  as  far  up  as  the  hock- 
joint.  For  this  swelling,  the  animal  had  been  under  profes- 
sional treatment  for  some  time  previous,  the  real  cause  of 
lameness,  situated  in  the  foot,  remaining  entirely  unsuspected. 
After  only  three  weeks'  use  of  the  corrosive  liniment,  the 
animal  was  nearly  well,  and  the  swelling  hardly  perceptible. 
A  continuance  ol  the  treatment  in  due  time  effected  a  per- 
fect cure. 

CONTRACTION  OF  THE  HOOP,  OR  NARROW  HEEL. ' 

In  all  parts  of  the  country,  there  are  numerous  cases  of  con- 
traction of  the  hoof,  or  narrow  heel,  as  it  is  popularly  called. 
The  shape  of  the  hoof  is  nearly  round  when  the  foot  is  in  its 
natural  or  healthy  condition  ;  but  sometimes  the  hoof  be- 
comes elongated,  the  toe  extending  forward,  and  the  parts 
toward  the  heel  dropping  in  together. 

It  is  a  prevalent  opinion  that  contraction  is  the  result  of 
shoeing;  but  this  is  certainly  a  mistake,  because  otherwise 
the  trouble  must  occur  much  oftener  than  it  does.  There  is 
no  reason  why  the  same  causes,  operating  in  the  same  man- 
ner, should  not  more  uniformly  produce  the  same  effects.  I^ot 
one  in  twenty  that  is  kept  constantly  shod  is  ever  troubled 
with  contraction.  This  is  not  itself  a  disease,  but  merely  the 
result  of  an  unhealthy  condition  of  the  feet. 

So  long  as  all  the  parts  included  within  the  hoof  are  in 
in  their  natural  state,  the  hoof  will  remain  natural  and  solid ; 
but  let  decay  commence,  no  matter  from. what  cause  origi- 
nating, and  the  parts  shrink  away,  the  sides  of  the  hoof  will 
fall  in,  and  the  .whole  foot  seem  misshapen.  Narrow  heel 
has  just  this  history,  and  no  other.  The  hoof  often  assumes 
great  irregularity  of  outline.    One  side  drops  in  more  than  the 


112  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

other;  the  lower  parts  of  the  heel  turn  in,  or,  it  may  be, 
benxi  outward,  or  the  toes  are  elongated  beyond  all  propor- 
tion. In  all  these  cases,  the  hoof  is  being  burnt  up  with 
fever,  and,  like  a  crisped  horn,  twists  about  in  a  variety  of 
shapes. 

TREATMENT. 

■  We  know  of  nothing  which  can  properly  be  called  a 
remedy;  contraction  will  cease  when  the  disease  that  caused 
it  has  been  cured.  Paring  may,  perhaps,  be  of  some  advan- 
tage. Of  all  the  forms  of  shoeing  recommended,  none  are  of 
any  practical  benefit. 

The  horse's  usefulness  is  not  always  essentially  impaired 
by  contraction  of  the  hoof.  Though  incapacitated  for  rapid 
motion,  he  may  still  do  very  good  work,  perhaps,  in  the 
plow  or  wagon. 

INJURIES  TO  THE  FROG. 

The  frog  is  a  part  of  the  horse's  foot  peculiarly  exposed  to 
injury.  From  its  location,  it  is  continually  brought  into  con- 
tact with  many  hard  substances  —  sharp  stones,  or  sticks, 
roots,  nails,  points  of  frozen  earth,  and  the  like. 

It  is  a  soft,  elastic  substance,  capable  of  considerable  ex- 
pansion and  contraction,  and  acts  as  a  protection  to  the 
important  bones  and  tendons  of  the  heel — principally  the 
shuttle,  or  navicular  bone,  and  the  flexor  tendon,  that  gives 
motion  to  the  foot.  Upon  the  surface  it  is  insensible,  but,  by 
paring  it  away,  the  sensible  part  is  soon  reached.  It  is  the 
latter  which  receives  the  hurt  from  the  sharp  substances 
above  referred  to.  Fever  and  soreness  spread  through  the 
adjacent  parts,  terminating  frequently  in  deep-seated  and  ob- 
stinate ulcers.  Lameness  may  exist  for  some  time  before  its 
location  and  cause  are  discovered.  The  frog  should  be  kept 
well  pared.  Its  natural  appearance  is  very  much  like  that 
of  India-rubber — dark  brown  in  color,  and  without  cavities, 
splits,  or  fissures  of  any  kind.  If  any  dark  spots  are  de- 
tected in  the  horny  substance  of  it,  it  is  an  evidence  of  stonei 
bruise. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.  113 

TREATMENT. 

The  corrosive  liniment  will  remove  all  traces  of  stone- 
bruise  and  similar  injuries,  and  heal  the  sore  and  wounded 
parta. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  FEET,  OR  FOUNDER. 

Certain  attacks  of  inflammation,  which  frequently  make 
their  appearance  in  the  horse's  feet,  have  received  the  name 
of  founder,  but  for  what  reason  it  would  be  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  say,  since  there  is  not  the  least  apparent  connection 
between  the  term  and  that  to  which  it  is  applied. 

The  common  theory  among  farmers  is,  that  the  horse  be- 
comes foundered  from  over-eating,  or  from  drinking  too  much 
water,  tlie  founder  descending  suddenly  to  the  feet.  The 
disease  is  known  by  a  variety  of  names  in  different  sections 
of  the.  country;  for  instance,  water-founder,  corn-founder, 
grass-founder,  and  others.  As  to  a  cure,  these  persons  im- 
agine that  the  great  object \is  attained  if  the  founder  can  be 
restricted,  and  kept  from  settling  down  to  the  extremities  of 
the  limbs. 

In  reality,  however,  the  founder  is  not  only  in  the  feet  al- 
ready, but  has  probably  been  established  there  for  days,  or, 
perhaps,  even  for  weeks.  The  sensible  portion  of  the  foot 
within  the  hoof,  and  the  bones  in  the  immediate  vicinity — 
the  coffin,  pastern,  and  shuttle  bones — are  filled  with  little 
blood-vessels,  which  supply  these  parts  with  niaterials  for 
their  nutrition.  The  inflammation  to  which  this  region  is 
subject  is  unusually  acute  in  the  case  of  founder,  and  is  liable 
to  be  developed  very  suddenly. 

The  real  cause  of  founder,  then,  is  the  previously-diseased 
condition  of  the  feet,  which  the  horse's  excessive  eating  and 
drinking  does  no  more  than  to  aggravate  and  bring  into 
powerful  action.  As  in  all  inflammation,  swelling  attends 
the  fever  and  soreness,  and  the  parts  within  the  hoof  become 
so  painful  that  the  horse  can  hardly  bear  to  step  at  all.  In- 
flammation is  next  communicated  to  the  hoof  itself.  It  is 
8 


114  AMERICAN  FARMER'S.  HORSE  BOOK. 

forced  outward  by  the  swelling  within,  and  grows  out  of  all 
symmetry,  until  the  horse  is  completely  ruined.  Who  has 
not  seen  the  dreadful  results  of  founder  in  the  wide-spreading 
hoof,  the  toe  turned  up,  or  elongated,  sometimes  even  six  or 
eight  inches,  and  the  bottom  of  the  foot  flat  and  smooth  ? 

There  are  other  circumstances  that  give  rise  to  founder  of 
more  frequent  operation,  in  many  sections,  than  over-eating 
and  drinking.  The  horse  first  overheated,  and  then  allowed 
suddenly  to  cool ;  or  brought  from  the  cold  and  wet  into  a 
warm  stable,  where  his  feet  are  enveloped  in  straw  and  hot 
dung ;  or  ridden  or  driven  very  hard  in  the  cold,  and,  after 
standing  hitched  to  a  post,  fetlock-deep  in  mud,  removed  to 
a  warm,  close  stable,  a  horse  thus  treated  is  a  fine  subject 
for  founder.  The  feet  are  chilled  in  the  cold,  and  heated  in 
the  stable,  and  it  would  be  surprising  if  they  could  continue 
long  to  stand  such  usage.  If  fairly  treated,  and  not  other- 
wise diseased,  the  horse  will  never  have  the  founder. . 

One  disease  of  the  feet,  generally  occurring  in  the  fore- 
feet, is  so  commonly  found  associated  with  founder,  that  it 
is  difficult  not  to  believe  that  it  is  the  principal  cause  of 
the  mischief.  In  hundreds  of  cases  of  founder  examined  by 
the  writer,  there  was  not  one  entirely  free  from  hoof  rot. 
In  most  cases  this  had  been  working  for  weeks,  or  even 
months,  before.  The  evil  consequences  of  this  condition  of 
the  feet  have  been  greatly  overlooked. 

To  sum  up  the  matter,  we  record  it  as  our  opinion  that, 
if  the  feet  ♦of  the  horse  are  not  previousl}^  diseased,  and 
have  not  been  bruised  or  otherwise  injured,  there  wull  be  no 
founder ;  that  what  is  known  as  founder  is^only  a  very  high 
and  sudden  rise  of  inflammation  in  the  feet  from  a  disease 
already  existing  there ;  that  hoof  rot  is  the  cause  of  chronic 
founder,  or  established  inflammation  of  the  feet,  and  nine- 
tenths  of  all  the  cases  of  founder  which  occur;  and  that 
many  a  lameness  in  the  horse,  which  receives  no  attention 
from  the  owner,  is  an  evidence  of  the  existence  of  disease, 
which  may  develop  into  chronic  founder  under  any  one  of 
a  variety  of  unfavorable  circumstances  to  which  the  animal 


/ 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.  115 

is  frequently  exposed,  not  to  mention  the   evils  following 
the  unnatural  shape  and  enlargement  of  the  foot. 

SYMPTOMS.  .** 

These  are  variable.  Sometimes  they  are  well  marked,  the 
horse  indicating  the  nature  of  his  sufferings  with  unmistake- 
able  plainness ;  but  not  unfrequently  they  are  so  obscure  as 
to  be  mistaken  or  entirely  overlooked.  The  first  noticeable 
sign  is  the  horse's  restlessness  and  the  frequent  shiftings  of 
the  fore-feet.  The  pulse  is  quick  and  hard,  the  nostrils  have 
a  red  and  florid  appearance,  and  the  horse  indicates  his  con- 
dition of  extreme  suffering  by  an  anxious,  woe-begone  look, 
with  repeated  or  heavy  grunts.  He  does  not  stand  long 
upon  his  feet,  and  yet  can  not  lie  down  in  the  natural  man- 
ner; but,  after  making  several  efforts  to  do  so,  he  will  rise 
up,  turn  round,  change  his  position,  and  then  resume  his 
feints  of  lying  down.  Sometimes  these  efforts  will  be  re- 
peated three  or  four  times  before  he  accomplishes  his  object, 
which  he  finally  does  by  dropping  to  the  ground  like  a  log. 
The  stillness  with  which  he  lies  upon  his  side  is  proof  at  once 
that  the  attack  is  not  one  of  colic;  while  his  changed  look 
of  relief  and  comparative  ease  declares,  as  plainly  as  words 
could,  what  his  disorder  really  is.  After  a  time  he  rises 
upon  his  haunches,  to  get  up,  but,  overcome  with  the  pain 
in  his  fore-feet  which  the  effort  occasions,  he  suddenly 
drops  upon  his  side  again.  Putting  his  head  around  to  the 
feet,  he  rests  his  nose  upon  them,  as  if  to  point  out  the  seat 
of  his  acute  pain,  and  to  plead,  as  well  as  he  can,  for  some 
relief. 

TREATMENT. 

Bleed  in  the  neck  vein,  without  delay,  as  soon  as  the  ani- 
mal's condition  is  discovered.  Let  the  blood  run  freely, 
taking  at  least  a  gallon  of  it.  The  object  of  this  is  to  draw 
away  the  blood  from  the  overloaded  blood-vessels  of  the 
feet.  Many  object  to  bleeding  in  the  neck,  as  being  too  re- 
mote from  the  seat  of  the  disease.    Experience,  however,  ia 


116  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

a  safe  teacher,  and  one  not  easily  misunderstood.  Hundreds 
of  cases,  within  the  personal  knowledge  of  the  author  alone, 
have  fully  tested  the  great  benefits  of  this  practice.  We 
are  satisfied  that  the  desirable  results  of  bleeding  depends, 
not  80  much  on  the  quantity  of  blood  taken,  as  upon  its 
determinatio;i  in  another  direction.  Hence  it  is  quite  in 
the  natural  order  of  things  that  the  feet  should  be  relieved 
by  this  bleeding. 

The  bleeding  having  been  attended  to,  have  prepared  a 
kettle  of  hot  salt  and  water.  Drench  him  with  a  quart  of 
this  liquid,  as  hot  as  he  can  bear  it,  and  next  bathe  his  feet 
and  legs  with  it.  Rub  these  well  with  a  rough  cloth  or 
brush.  Make  this  application  three  or  four  times  in  the 
course  of  an  hour,  and  after  this,  as  soon  as  the  feet  have 
become  dry,  wet  the  parts  just  at  the  edge  of  the  hair  with 
the  corrosive  liniment,  or,  in  the  absence  of  this,  use  tur- 
pentine. Do  not  attempt  to  work  the  animal  until  he  is 
entirely  well.  Feed  lightly  on  bran-mash,  boiled  oats,  cut 
feed,  or  a  little  scalded  meal.  If  pasture  is  accessible,  how- 
ever, he  need  have  no  other  food.  'Not  only  is  this  the  best 
diet  for  him,  but  it  is  Nature's  own  medicine;  and  in  fine 
weather,  the  cool,  moist  ground  will  act  as  an  excellent  poul- 
tice to  his  feet.  In  stormy  weather,  the  horse,  with  this  or 
any  other  disease,  should  be  kept  in  a  good,  dry  stable. 

Having  happily  got  the  founder  under  control,  you  had 
now  better '  set  to  work  to  cure  his  feet  entirely,  or,  in  all 
probability,  the  disease  will  return  presently  in  a  worse 
form  than  before.  Hoof  rot  is  what  you  now  have  to  com- 
bat, and  must  be  treated  directly  as  prescribed  for  that 
complaint. 

For  an  old-standing  or  chronic  case  of  founder  give  {he 
following:  One  pound  of  the  flour  of  sulphur,  one-fourth 
of  a  pound  of  cream  of  tartar,  the  same  of  saltpeter,  and 
half  a  pint  of  pulverized  "jimson"  seed.  Make  six  doses 
of  this,  and  give  one  of  them  each  day  until  they  are  all 
gone.  At  the  same  time,  there  must  be  energetic  treatment 
of  the  feet,  u^ing  the  corrosive  liniment  as  elsewhere  directed. 


i 


DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET.   —    •    .  117 

Another  remedy  for  founder,  which  comes  to  us  from  high 
authority,  is  to  split  open  with  a  sharp  knife  the  little  point, 
or  knot,  in  the  long  hair  at  the  back  of  the  fetlock.  This 
is  said  to  aiFord  almost  instantaneous  relief. 

There  is  probably  but  one  other  disease  (colic)  with  which 
the  horse  is  so  commonly  affected  as  with  founder.  More 
poor,  thriftless,  shadowy  horses  may  be  found  lingering 
along,  in  constant  suffering  from  chronic  founder,  than  from 
all  other  causes  combined.  The  disease  may  be  cured,  if 
taken  in  season,  and  old  standing  cases  may  be  greatly  re- 
lieved; but  there  always  remains  neiore  or  less  predisposi- 
tion to  the  old  trouble.  A  young  and  vigorous  animal  is 
likely  to  pretty  neaVly  outgrow  the  disease,  but  there  is 
much  less  hopes  for  this  when  an  old  horse  is  taken  with  it. 


118  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 


CHAPTER  V. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS  AND  NASAL  MEMBRANES. 
BLIND    STAGGERS. 

Blind  staggers  'projper  is  peculiar  to  the  Southern  States. 
In  the  form  in  which  it  there  exists,  it  is  not  found  north  of 
the  latitude  of  thirty-six.  What  is  known  by  that  name  in 
the  ITorthern  States  and  in  Europe  is  not  properly  blind 
staggers,  and  is  attended  wi€h  but  few  of  the  dreadful  symp- 
toms of  the  disease  as  it  manifests  itself  in  the  South.  In 
the  North,  and  in  Europe,  numerous  aftections  of  the  horse 
thaf  produce  sleepiness  or  giddiness — most  forms  of  vertigo 
and  slight  attacks  of  apoplexy — are  all  vaguely  termed  stag- 
gers. It  is  true  that  these  often  cause  a  staggering  gait ;  but 
they  are  accompanied  by  none  of  the  other  characteristic 
symptoms  of  bUnd  staggers. 

We  are  satisfied  that  neither  the  people  of  the  JSTorthern 
States,  nor  even  the  best  informed  writers  on  the  horse,  have 
any  knowledge  of  this  dreadful  scourge  of  the  cotton  States, 
where,  in  former  years,  it  prevailed  to  a  terrible  extent.  At 
one  period — from  1848  to  1854 — its  ravages  were  especially 
destructive,  and  became  really  fearful  to  contemplate.  Cer- 
tain sections  of  the  country  were  nearly  depopulated  of  the 
working  stock,  and,  what  was  worse,  they  were  sections  where 
the  people  were  the  least  able  to  bear  the  loss.  It  broke  out 
much  more  frequently  on  new  plantations,  where  the  ground 
had  been  under  cultivation  but  a  short  time,  than  in  the  older 
and  more  cultivated  districts. 

During  the  long  residence  of  the  author  at  the  South,  mjich 
time  was  spent  in  the  careful  study  of  this  disease,  and  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  cotton  States  were  visited,  for  the  purpose  of 
gathering  fact^  in  relation  to  its  manifestations  in  diflTerent 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  119 

sections.  These  investigations  were  necessarily  pursued  with- 
out much  light  or  aid  from  others.  The  best  descriptions 
given  of  it  by  recognized  authorities  in  veterinary  science, 
fell  far  below  the  dreadful  developments  of  the  malady  as 
they  were  presented  to  the  author's  observation  almost  daily. 
The  people  in  the  regions  where  it  prevailed  had  gained  a 
partial  knowledge  of  its  real  cause  and  location ;  but  their 
modes  of  treatment  were  barbarous  in  the  extreme,  and  by 
no  means  effective.  Authors  disagreed  among  themselves  in 
not  a  few  points  of  the  most  essential  character,  and  hardly 
one  of  them  even  approximated  to  a  true  description  of  the 
blind  staggers  of  the  South.  The  name  staggers  had  a  va- 
riety of  vague  and  perplexing  applications  in  their  accounts. 
Some  spoke  of  the  disease  as  heart  staggers ;  others  described 
stomach  staggers,  brain  staggers,  sleepy  staggers,  and  mad 
staggers,  each  reasoning  from  effect  rather  than  cause. 

Several  writers  have  advanced  the  opinion  that  the  disease 
is  caused  by  the  horse  eating  the  spiders'  webs  on  the  grass, 
in  the  morning,  when  wet  with  dew.  Unfortunately  for  this 
theory,  however,  horses  that  are  kept  in  the  stable  are  found 
to  be  more  subject  to  it  than  those  which  run  in  pasture. 
Besides  this,  in  some  parts  of  Mississippi,  where  its  ravages 
have  been  as  bad  as  in  any  part  of  the  whole  South,  there 
are  no  such  spiders'  webs.  Still  further,  it  frequently  rages 
in  the  winter,  when  there  is  neither  grass  in  the  pastures, 
nor  spiders  to  spread  their  webs  upon  it. 

Equally  absurd  is  the  theory  that  a  disease  of  so  dreadful 
a  type — extending  its  ravages  over  almost  one-half  of  our 
country,  well-nigh  equaling  in  extent,  as  also  in  malignity, 
that  dreadful  scourge  cholera,  attacking  not  only  horses, 
mules,  jacks,  and  even  hogs  alike,  but  those  of  all  ages  and 
conditions — is  the  result  of  over-eating,  of  a  diseased  stomach. 

The  various  theories  advanced  by  different  authors  seem  to 
us  to  be  but  lame  attempts  to  explain  what  they  do  not  un- 
derstand. The  people  of  the  affected  localities,  we  found, 
had  gained  some  knowledge  of  the  cause  of  the  disease,  and 
the  parts  particularly  affected;  and  this  knowledge  was  of 


120  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

essential  service  to  the  author  in  determining  its  correct  pa  • 
thology.  As  before  intimated,  however,  the  modes  of  treat- 
ment then  in  practice  were  equally  barbarous  with  those  ap- 
plied to  big  head  and  fistula,  and  scarcely  more  effective  than 
they.  The  term  "  blind  staggers  "  was  suggestive,  and  prop- 
erly applied;  for  it  indicates  two  effects  of  the  disease,  and 
points  to  its  true  pathology. 

We  found  that  a  very  general  opinion  prevailed  among  the 
people  of  the  affected  districts  that  staggers  was,  in  some 
way,  connected  with  the  horse's  eating  the  corn  grown  upon 
land  that  had  just  been  cleared.  Its  ravages  were  the  greatest 
about  the  time  of  gathering  such  corn,  and  at  those  seasons 
when  it  was  fed  in  the  greatest  quantity.  These*  circum- 
stances induced  us  to  examine  it,  to  ascertain,  if  possible, 
whether  any  connection  really  existed  between  the  eating  of 
such  corn  and  the  developments  of  the  disease.  We  found 
that  corn  grown  upon  new  land  is  very  apt  to  be  badly  eaten 
by  a  species  of  greenish-yellow  worm,  which  leaves  upon  it 
a  dust,  or  excrempnt,  of  a  very  poisonous  nature.  Corn 
grown  u*pon  old  ground  is  often  very  considerably  injured 
from  the  same  cause,  but  to  a  much  less  extent.  As  an  evi- 
dence of  the  poisonous  qualities  of  this  worm-dust,  if  a  plas- 
ter, made  by  mixing  it  with  vinegar,  be  placed  upon  the  back 
of  the  hand,  it  will  raise  a  blister  in  a  short  time. 

To  us  it  seems  perfectly  clear  that  the  stomach  has  nothing 
to  do  with  the  disease,  except  sympathetically.  We  shall  be 
compelled  to  look  to  some  other  source  for  its  origin.  This 
we  believe  to  be  the  effects  of  the  worm-dust  upon  the  corn, 
but  operating  in  an  entirely  different  way  from  that  which 
the  people  of  the  South  were  accustomed  to  imagine. 

There  is  a  little  orifice  in  the  nostril  of  the  horse,  situated 
upon  the  back  part  of  it,  and  about  an  inch  from  the  outlet. 
In  size  it  varies  somewhat  in  different  horses,  but  is  usually 
about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  This  little  opening — 
with  several  smaller  ones,  which  may  be  found  higher  up 
the  nose — is  the  outlet  of  the  lacrymal  duct  (lacrymal  mean- 
ing tears),  which  is  the  tube,  or  passage,  that  drains  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  121 

water  from  the  eyes.  All  the  animals  of  the  higher  types  of 
organism  have  an  organ  answering  this  purpose.  Nature 
supplies  to  all  these  a  watery  secretion,  to  wash  the  eye  and 
keep  it  moist,  and  when  this  fluid  has  performed  its  office,  it 
passes  off  through  this  little  duct  into  the  nose.  In  the  horse 
and  the  mule,  the  lacrymal  tube  has  its  outlet  into  the  nose 
situated  much  lower  down  than  in  any  other  animal,  and,  in 
the  former  especially,  may  be  seen  very  plainly. 

"When  the  horse  eats  the  worm-eaten  corn  we  have  de- 
scribed, he  snuffs  the  excrementory  dust  upon  it  up  his  nose, 
and  it  sometimes  lodges  in  these  little  openings.  Its  poison- 
ous qualities  cause  them  to  swell  and  fester,  from  which  they 
shortly  become  closed,  so  that  the  water  from  the  eyes  can 
not  be  discharged.  These  ducts  communicate  with  the  nasal 
cavities  of  the  head,  which,  in  like  manner,  become  filled 
with  the  poisonous  retained  water.  They  remain"  not  long 
in  this  condition  before  disease  and  inflammation  set  in ;  the 
surrounding  parts  are  next  involved ;  finally,  the  optic  nerve — 
the  nerve  of  the  eye — becomes  affected,  and  at  once  blindness 
and  staggering  begin.  The  brain  and  the  whole  head  par- 
take of  the  rapidly-spreading  derangement,  and  presently 
the  stomach  also,  with  the  entire  line  of  the  intestinal  canal. 
The  dreadful  virus  affects  every  vital  organ,  and  nearly  every 
part  of  the  body.  It  is  a  strange  and  peculiar  poison,  equally 
so  in  its  nature  and  effect. 

That  climate  and  a  variety  of  unfavorable  circumstances, 
may  greatly  aggravate  the  disease,  is  undoubted.  We  are 
fully  satisfied,  however,  that  blind  staggers  arises  from  an 
inflamed  condition  of  the  optic  nerve  of  the  eye,  the  inflam- 
mation being  produced  by  the  worm  excrement,  which  finds 
its  way  into  the  nose,  as  already  stated,  and  which  differs 
materially  from  any  commonly  found  upon  the  corn  further 
north. 

Numerous  examinations  of  the  optic  nerve,  made  imme- 
diately after  death  from  this  disease,  showed  it  to  be  in  a 
dreadfully  inflamed  condition,  and  already  exhibiting  signs 
of  decomposition.     No  traces  of  disease  were  discovered  in 


122  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

the  coatings  or  humors  of  the  eye.  These  were  all  perfect 
and  natural,  as  in  health ;  but  that  portion  of  the  brain  nearest 
to,  and  in  immediate  connection  with,  the  nerve  was  much 
inflamed,  and  patches  or  lines  of  red  extended  in  all  direc- 
tions from  the  point  whence  the  nerve  proceeded,  showing 
that  inflammation  had  reached  this  region  also.  Here,  un- 
doubtedly, was  the  final  cause  of  death.  Collections  of  slimy, 
yellow  water  had  gathered  upon  tkis  portion  of  the  brain. 
Similar  evidences  of  decomposition  w^ere  apparent  here.  The 
inflammation  developed  by  this  malady  is  of  a  peculiar  char- 
acter. It  is  the  effect  of  a  poison  carried  directly  to  the 
brain. 

Sometimes  there  is  stoppage  of  the  lacrymal  ducts  upon 
only  one  side  of  the  head,  and  then  the  inflammation,  for  a 
time,  will  be  confined  to  that  side.  Such  a  horse  becomes 
entirely  blind  in  the  eye  on  the  affected  side,  and  partially 
so,  through  sympathy,  on  the  other.  In  this  condition  he 
follows  the  imperfect  sight  of  this  eye,  which  is  placed  at  a 
considerable  angle  with  the  direction  of  the  body,  and  he  con- 
tinues to  turn  round  and  round.  As  he  moves  forward,  the 
angle  of  direction  is  constantly  changing  inward,  and  he  de- 
scribes a  circle  whose  diameter  is  about  sixty  feet.  Around 
this  circle  he  pursues  his  unsteady  march  as  long  as  he  is  able 
to  walk.  It  is  an  invariable  peculiarity  of  this  form  of  the 
disease  that  the  poor  creature  is  always  in  motion.  'Not  only 
is  he  nearly  always  blind,  but  deaf  also.  There  is  no  question 
as  to  his  blindness  in  one  eye.  You  may  go  up  to  him  on 
that  side,  and  put  your  hand  on  his  head,  before  he  appears 
to  know  it;  and  then  he  jumps  and  springs  away,  with  every 
sign  of  alarm.  If  approached  upon  the  other  side,  he  con- 
tinues to  sheer  off",  just  as  a  horse  always  does  that  is  par- 
tially blind.  We  have  seen  many  a  circular  path,  traced  by 
the  sufferer  from  blind  staggers,  that  was  beaten  almost  as 
hard  as  the  foot-paths  of  a  horse-mill.  If  interrupted  in  his 
rounds,  he  changes  his  direction  merely,  strikes  out  a  differ- 
ent circle,  and  in  it  moves  forward  as  before. 

Occasionally  a  spasm  or  fit  comes  on,  when  he  staggers, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.       "  123 

pitches,  and  reels  like  a  drunken  man.  The  length  of  time 
which  these  spasms  continue  varies  from  twenty  minutes  to 
an  hour,  or  sometimes  even  two  hours.  Occurring,  at  first, 
no  oftener  perhaps  than  once  a  day,  they  rapidly  increase 
in  frequency  and  severity.  As  his  end  draws  near,  the  horse 
18  only  out  of  one  fit  into  another.  The  terrible  sufibrings 
of  the  poor  creature  in  these  paroxysms  of  agony  are  beyond 
description.  He  stamps  and  paws  with  his  fore-feet,  rears 
upon  his  hind  legs,  and,  falling  backwards,  sometimes  kills 
himself  instantly  by  the  dislocation  of  his  neck.  If  he  falls 
upon  his  side,  he  throws  his  feet  rapidly  about,  and  beats 
the  ground  with  his  head  in  th«  most  violent  manner. 
iNow,  quick  as  he  is  able,  he  springs  to  his  feet,  only  to  go 
through  with  the  same  wild  actions  again.  He  does  not 
always  fall  to  the  ground,  but  sometimes  reels  and  staggers 
about,  strikes  out  with  his  feet,  and  thus  makes  it  danger- 
bus  to  be  near  him.  All  at  once  he  starts  off  on  a  run,  as 
fast  as  he  can  go.  Bringing  up  against  a  tree,  a  fence,  or 
the  side  of  a  house,  he  is  knocked  flat  to  the  earth,  and,  if 
his  legs  or  neck  are  not  broken,  he  is  sadly  cut  and  bruised 
at  least. 

All  this  time  his  groanings  and  complainings  continue 
distressing  in  the  extreme.  Only  at  intervals  does  he  seem 
to  be  rational ;  then  he  appears  to  recognize  his  keeper,  and 
it  is  really'painful  to  hear  how  piteously  he  begs  for  assist- 
ance. During  the  subsidence  of  the  spasm,  his  breathing 
comes  thick  and  fast.  It  is  not  only  very  rapid,  but  con- 
strained, so  that  his  sides  puff  in  and  out  like  a  pair  of  bel- 
lows. Finally  the  spasm  spends  its  force,  and  passes  off, 
and,  for  a  time,  he  rests  in  comparative  ease.  If  on  his 
side,  he  remains  lying  there  for  a  long  time,  as  still  as  death. 
Very  commonly  the  spasm  seems  to  pass  off  instantly,  and, 
if.  on  his  feet,  he  remains  standing,  with  his  head  drooping, 
and  eyes  closed,  as  though  he  were  asleep.  After  a  time  he 
rouses  again,  and  resumes  his  motions  in  a  circle. 

When  both  sides  are  affected  alike,  (which  is  often  the 
case,)  the  horse  becomes  entirely  blind  in  both  eyes,  and 


124  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

stands,  trembling  and  shaking,  with  his  head  down,  and  his 
eyes  closed,  as  if  asleep.  In  this  state  he  remains  until  a 
spasm  comes  on.  Then  he  runs  and  pitches  about  in  a  man- 
ner more  terrible,  if  possible,  than  that  already  described — 
his  nostrils  distended,  his  breath  so  short  and  thick  as  nearly 
to  produce  convulsions  of  the  sides.  Such  is  the  dreadful 
excitement  now  raging,  that  it  almost  appears  as  if  his  whole 
body  was  about  to  be  torn  to  pieces.  When  the  spasm  passes 
off,  he  lapses  into  the  sleepy,  torpid,  trembling  condition, 
which  has  been  called  sleepy  staggers. 

In  this  phase  of  the  disease,  the  horse  seems  utterly  indis- 
posed to  movement  of  any  kind,  except  while  frenzied  from 
his  fearful  spasms.  It  is  a  question  whether  he  is  in  posses- 
sion of  his  proper  faculties  at  all.  When  the  disease  mani- 
fests itself  in  this  form,  it  soon  runs  its  course,  and  death 
speedily  puts  an  end  to  the  poor  creature's  suffering. 

Sometimes  the  horse  shows  signs  of  this  disease  for  several 
days,  and,  in  other  cases,  for  only  a  few  hours.  But  the 
origin  of  the  trouble  always  dates  back  some  time,  perhaps 
ev^n  weeks  previous,  although  it  may  never  have  been  sus- 
pected until  its  violent  symptoms  were  fully  declared. 

THE   OLD   MODES   OP   TREATMENT. 

The  methods  of  treatment  formerly  in  vogue  at  the  South, 
although  tainted  by  extreme  cruelty  and  shocking  violence, 
furnish  a  strong  argument  in  substantiation  of  the  views  we 
have  put  forward  in  regard  to  the  causes  of  blind  staggers. 
A  sad,  unwelcome  experience  had  taught  the  people  some 
valuable  lessons  concerning  the  disease.  One  of  these  was 
that  its  seat  was  in  the  head. 

In  order  to  make  the  treatment  correspond  with  this  hy- 
pothesis, it  was  a  common  practice  to  cut  a  place  in  the  skin, 
about  an  inch  long,  over  the  region  of  the  brain;  then  to 
insert  some  poisonous  substance,  and  close  the  wound  over 
again.  By  producing  a  rapidly-running  sore,  this  course, 
notwithstanding  the  torture  it  occasioned,  sometimes  gave 
relief.  ♦  • 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  125 

Another  method  was  to  drive  a  chisel  through  tne  frontal 
hone,  just  below  the  region  of  the  brain,  and  let  the  accumu- 
lation of  purulent  fluid  run  out.  This  sometimes  succeeded, 
and  from  two  to  three  pints  of  yellow  and  quite  offensive 
water  were  thus  discharged.  But,  although  sometimes  suc- 
cessful, this  operation  was  attended  with  great  danger.  The 
shock  of  bursting  the  skull-bone  killed  the  horse  oftener 
than  the  treatment  gaved  him. 

Boring  with  a  gimlet  was  tried  as  a  substitute  for  the 
chisel,  but  this,  likewise,  proved  extremely  hazardous.  The 
wedge-like  action  of  the  gimlet  commonly  split  the  skull 
'and  killed  the  horse. 

One  great  difficulty  in  treating  the  staggers  was  found  to  be 
the  horse's  extreme  restlessness,  amounting  frequently  to  per- 
fect frenzy.  This  was  much  aggravated  by  the  harshness  of 
these  processes.  It  was  generally  impossible  to  operate  upon 
the  animal  without  throwing  him  to  the  ground.  The  fall, 
and  his  subsequent  struggliugs,  sometimes  killed  him.  Even 
in  those  stages  of  the  disorder  in  which  he  was  drooping,  and 
perfectly  still  when  unmolested,  as  soon  as  touched  he  grew 
perfectly  excited,  or  even  furious. 

-  The  practice  of  these  different  methods  proves  clearly 
enough  that  the  people  generally  understood  that  the  dis- 
eased water  from  the  eyes  had  somehow  accumulated  within 
the  head,  and  was  the  cause  of  the  mischief,  and  that,  if  it 
could  be  drawn  off  in  time,  the  horse  might  be  saved.  With 
this  idea  was  connected  the  belief,  as  already  stated,  that  the 
worm-eaten  corn  was  in  some  way — they  hardly  knew  how — 
instrumental  in  developing  the  disorder. 

PREVENTIVES. 

"An  ounce  of  prevention,"  s-ays  the  old  proverb,  "is  worth 
a  pound  of  cure."  This  is  emphatically  true  in  regard  to 
the  staggers. 

Horses  and  colts  that  run  constantly  in  pasture  are  not 
troubled  with  the  disease.  Let  the  stable-fed  horse  have  a 
diet  from  which  corn  is  excluded,  and  he  will  be  almost 


*  « 


> 


126  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

equally  exempt.  Of  two  farmers,  in  the  same  neighborhood 
where  the  disease  prevails  extensively,  let  one  carefully  brush 
off  the  worm-dust  from  the  corn  before  feeding  it  to  his 
horses,  and  the  other  neglect  this  precaution.  The  former 
will  be  in  little  danger  of  any  trouble  with  blind  staggers 
among  his  stock,  while  the  latter  stands  a  good  chance  of 
having  to  sustain  heavy  losses  from  it. 

These  facts  plainly  indicate  one  highly-important  means 
of  prevention.  If  the  farmer  must  feed  worm-eaten  corn  to 
his  horses,  he  should  be  at  pains  first  to  brush  off  the  poison- 
ous dust.  It  would  be  still  better  if  he  could  get  corn  alto- 
gether free  from  it. 

Good,  strong  wood  ashes,  kept  in  the  trough  or  manger, 
have  been  used  with  excellent  results,  as  a  preventive  remedy. 
Still  more  certain  and  efficacious,  when  it  is  employed  in  the 
same  manner,  are  the  effects  of  tobacco,  especially  if  the  finer 
portions  of  it  shell  off  in  the  manger.  The  tobacco,  in  fact, 
had  better  be  made  fine  before  placing  it  in  the  feeding-place. 
The  fine  dust  of  these  substances  increases  the  secretions,  so 
as  to  keep  the  lacrymal  ducts  open. 

It  Avill  be  well  to  watch  for  the  premonitory  symptoms  of 
the  disease,  such'  as  the  horse  drooping  his  head ;  sudden 
starts,  as  if  struck  with  a  whip;  the  pulse  very  rapid,  and  hot; 
and  great  heat  about  the  head,  in  the  region  of  the  brain,  as 
well  as  the  frontal  bone,  just  below  the  eyes.  More  marked 
indications  accompany  the  further  development  of  the  disease. 
When  the  horse  is  in  health,  a  rap  upon  the  cranium  gives 
forth  a  hollow  sound ;  but  now  the  sound  is  dull  and  heavy, 
much  as  when  a  cup  filled  with  water  is  struck.  The  little 
openings  into  the  nostrils,  which  we  have  described,  should 
show  no  signs  of  obstruction,  nor  of  any  discharge  other  than 
the  clear-looking  water  from  the  eyes.  But  now  the  openings 
appear  nearly  or  quite  stopped  up,  and  discharge  more  or  less 
matter ;  the  nostrils  are  covered  with  scabs,  and  much  swol- 
len, and  the  back  parts  of  them  appear  very  red  and  angry. 
^  When  these  symptoms  are  exhibited,  the  owner  may  be  sure 

that  blind  staggers,  in  its  worst  stages,  is  at  no  great  distance. 


I 

t 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  127 

The  nose  should  be  examined  frequently,  to  detect  the  first 
indications  of  any  such  evil  omens. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  is  as  simple  as  its  philosophy  is  obvious. 
If  the  disease  has  its  origin  in  a  stoppage  of  the  lacrymal 
tubes  and  the  nasal  cavities  of  the  head,  and  the  collection 
in  them  of  that  diseased,  poisonous  fluid  which  is  secreted  by 
their  inflamed  surfaces,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that,  to 
reopen  those  tubes,  and  to  draw  off  that  fluid,  will  give  re- 
lief. Such  is  really  the  case ;  and  if  these  important  opera- 
tions can  be  successfully  accomplished,  there  need  be  little 
fear  in  regard  to  the  animal's  ultimate  recovery.  The  inflam- 
matory and  other  general  consequences  of  the  disease  may 
be  removed  by  proper  treatment. 

The  chief  difficulty  is  to  do  any  thing  at  all.  In  many  in- 
stances, the  disease  makes  such  rapid  headway  before  it  is 
discovered,  that  the  case  is  hopeless  from  the  outset.  It  is 
very  difficult,  too,  to  keep  the  sufierer  still  for  a  sufficient 
length  of  time  to  permit  proper  treatment.  Even  when  this 
can  be  done,  the  remedy  often  proves  ineffectual,  so  dread- 
fully inflamed  and  swollen  have  the  ducts  become,  and  so 
great  the  accumulation  of  the  mattery  fluid  within  /  ^m, 
which  the  prevailing  fever  often  changes  into  a  thici.  and  ^ 
almost  solid  substance.  •  /^v 

But  to  describe  the  treatment.  Bleed  the  feorse  in  the 
neck  vein  as  long  as  he  can  bear  it.  Then  give  a  drench,  as 
follows:  A  half-pound  of  Epsom  salts  in  a  pint  of  warm 
water,  to  which  add  a  gill  of  moderately-strong  tobacco  juice. 
This  will  make  the  animal  very  sick,  and  one  who  uses  it  for 
the  first  time  is  likely  to  think  the  horse  is  about  to  die.  But, 
although  his  eyes  become  glassy,  and  he  reels,  and  sometimes 
falls  to  the  ground,  there  is  much  less  danger  in  giving  such  a 
mixture  to  a  horse  than  to  a  human  being.  It  will  not  kill  him, 
but  affords  nearly  the  only  chance  for  prosecuting  the  treat- 
ment to  a  perfect  cure ;  for,  as  soon  as  it  takes  effect,  he  becomes 
quiet,  so  that  you  may  handle  your  patient  as  you  please. 


128  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Before  the  effects  of  this  medicine  pass  off,  give  him  two 
ounces  of  laudanum  in  a  little  warm  water.  Do  not  fail  in 
this,  if  it  can  possibly  be  done.  The  great  object  now  is  to 
prevent  the  return  of  another  spasm,  by  getting  him  com- 
pletely under  the  influence  of  an  anodyne. 

Next,  procure  a  stick,  about  two  feet  in  length,  and  make 
a  soft  swab  on  the  end  of  it.  Tie  the  swab  on  securely,  and 
let  the  cloth  extend  over  the  end  of  the  stick.  The  string 
should  be  long  enough  to  hang  down  to  the  other  end  of  the 
stick,  so  that  you  can  hold  it  in  your  hand,  and  then,  if  the 
cloth  should  happen  to  come  off  while  the  swab  is  being 
used,  you  will  still  have  hold  of  it.  Dip  the  swab  into  some 
weak  tobacco-juice,  quite  warm,  and  run  it  up  the  horse's 
nose.  Repeat  this  carefully  a  few  times,  and  then  wash  out 
the  whole  nostril  thoroughly  with  the  little  mop.  This  will 
open  the  ducts,  and  let  the  water  collected  in  them  run  out. 
Whenever  a  free  discharge  from  the  nose  can  be  effected,  the 
horse  is  out  of  present  danger,  and,  if  the  treatment  is  car- 
ried out,  will  presently  get  well.  The  foul,  watery  secretibns 
will  sometimes  drip  from  the  nostrils  in  almost  a  stream,  for 
a  day  or  more.  In  a  few  cases,  the  writer  has  known  strings 
of  tough,  nearly  solid  matter,  two  or  three  inches  in  length, 
to  be  forced  from  the  outlet  of  the  ducts,  after  which  the 
water  would  commence  running  from  them  freely. 

The  final  step  is  to  induce  a  speedy  and  powerful  counter- 
action, to  prevent  inflammation  from  reaching  the  brain  ;  or, 
if  it  already  exists  in  that  organ,  to  reduce  it.  What  is  done 
for  this. purpose  must  be  done  quickly.  The  symptoms  of 
the  disease  will  not  wait  for  the  slow  action  of  ordinary  rem- 
edies. A  blister  mu&t  be  raised,  immediately  over  the  region 
of  the  brain.  To  do  this  most  quickly,  wet  the  skin  with 
the  corrosive  liniment,  or,  in  the  absence  of  this,  with  tur- 
pentine. Over  this  lay  an  old  piece  of  cloth,  two  or  three 
folds  in  thickness,  and  apply  on  the  outside  a  hot  smoothing- 
iron.     Hold  it  there  until  a  blister  is  drawn. 

One  bleeding  will  nearly  always  be  sufficient;  but  the  rest 
of  the  treatment  it  may  be  necessary  to  repeat  a  number  of 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  129 

times,  through  several  days.  There  may  be  no  need,  per- 
haps, of  giving  the  drench  of  tobacco-juice  more  than  once 
or  twice.  Of  the  laudanum,  an  ounce  will  often  be  enough 
to  produce  the  desired  effects,  after  the  first  day. 

If  the  horse  will  eat  at  all,  feed  light,  and  give  no  corn. 
Green  grass  is  the  best  food.  For  several  weeks,  keep  him 
perfectly  quiet. 

When  the  brain  has  become  seriously  involved,  it  is  too 
late.  Death  will  soon  relieve  the  practitioner  of  all  his  la- 
bors, and  the  patient  of  his  suffering.  .  There  is  but  one  sure 
indication  of  the  abatement  of  the  disease,  and  that  is,  the 
running  at  the  nose.  In  this  disease,  no  positive  assurance 
of  saving  life  can  be  given.  All  efforts  will  often  fail,  and, 
still  oftener,  no  remedy  can  be  used  at  all.  Hence,  the  im- 
portance of  prevention  by  one  of  the  methods  we  have  de- 
scribed. 

RECAPITULATION   OF   TREATMENT. 

1st.  Bleed  as  long  as  the  horse  can  bear  it. 
2d.   Give  the  drench  of  tobacco-juice,  with  the  salts. 
3d.    Swab  out  the  nostrils  to  open  the  ducts. 
4th.  Raise  a  blister  over  the  region  of  the  brain. 

GLANDERS. 

Although  not  usually  classed  as  such  by  veterinary  au- 
thors, this  is  really  just  what  its  name  implies — a  disease  of 
the  glands.  The  lymphatic  and  nasal  glands  in  the  head 
are  the  ones  particularly  affected;  and  here  the  disease,  in 
its  early  stages,  may  often  exist  for  months,  or  possibly  for 
years,  entirely  unsuspected.  From  them  first  proceed  the 
glanderous  discharges  from  the  nose,  which  afterward  ulcer- 
ate, the  lining  membrane  of  the  nostril.  Hence  the  reason 
of  our  departure  from  nearly  all  antecedents  in  respect  to 
the  classification  of  this  disease. 

Glanders  is  indeed  an  awful  malady,  dreadfully  contagious, 
and  when  fully  developed,  nearly  incurable.  There  are  three 
stages  of  it,  as  will  be  explained  presently.  Only  in  the  first, 
9 


♦/ 


130  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

and  sometimes  in  the  second  of  these,  does  the  disease  admit 
of  a  cure  at  all;  but,  unfortunately,  it  is  most  frequently 
overlooked,  or  else  entirely  misunderstood,  until  it  is  too 
late.  It  is  only  when  the  scourge  assumes  its  most  malig- 
nant type  that  the  owner  or  keeper  becomes  aware  of  its 
existence;  and  even  then  he  is  too  often  unwilling  to  ac- 
knowledge its  presence,  until  forced  to  do  so  by  the  spread 
of  the  contagion,  and  other  signs  too  plain  to  be  disregarded. 

Happily,  this  pest  of  European  countries — this  curse  of 
English  stables — seldom  occurs  in  our  rural  districts.  In 
this  country  it  is  almost  exclusively  confined  to  cities,  with 
their  crowded  stables,  and  large  numbers  of  horses  herded 
together. 

In  tracing  the  history  of  any  considerable  number  of  cases, 
infection  will  be  found  at  the  root  of  the  trouble  much  more 
frequently  than  any  other  circumstance.  But  there  are  sev- 
eral causes  which  may  generate  the  disease,  where  contagion 
has  never  been  possible.  In  such  cases  it  is  invariably  the 
offspring  of  filth  and  mismanagement.  The  hot-beds  where 
it  usually  develops  itself,  and  best  thrives,  are  our  cavalry 
corrals,  and  other  places  where  large  droves  of  horses  are 
crowded  together,  close  and  ill- ventilated  stables,  and  those 
in  low  and  damp  situations.  Among  the  many  causes  of 
glanders,  however,  none  are  so  fruitful  as  impure  air,  and 
unwholesome  food  and  water — of  all  which  the  horse  is 
likely  to  get  the  most  in  the  places  we  have  named.  Any 
one  of  these  may  be  sufficient,  at  times,  to  give  existence  to 
this  terrible  disease ;  yet,  after  all,  the  majority  of  cases  are 
undoubtedly  the  result  of  infection  communicated  from  one 
horse  to  another. 

The  opportunities  for  infection  are  always  very  great.  In 
large  stables,  where  strange  horses  are  constantly  coming 
and  going,  it  is  a  wonder  that  it  occurs  no  oftener  than  it 
does.  The  degree  of  exemption  which  they  enjoy  can  only 
be  attributed  to  their  greatly  improved  construction  and  man- 
agement. The  ventilation,  good  order,  and  cleanliness  which 
characterize  the  large  majority  of  them  are  truly  commend- 


•  DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.        \^  ISl 

less  so  the  caution  and  care  manifested  by  their 
managers  in  regard  to  food  and  water.  These,  together  with 
the  attention  bestowed  upon  washing  and  cleaning  the  horse, 
and  removing  filth  from  near  the  stall,  have  made  this  loath- 
some disease  comparatively  rare  in  even  our  city  stables. 
During  the  last  half  century,  there  has  been  a  more  marked 
improvement  in  the  home  of  the  horse  than  even  in  that  of 
man. 

Yet  infection  may  take  place  from  circumstances  against 
which  no  caution  or  foresight  can  fully  guard.  The  traveler 
comes  along  with  a  fine-looking  horse,  entirely  ignorant  that 
any  thing  is  wVong  with  him,  although,  in  reality,  he  is 
glandered.  He  is  put  in  the  stable,  eats  from  the  manger, 
drinks  from  the  common  bucket  or  water-tub,  and  departs, 
leaving  behind  the  dreadful  infection,  which  may  be  im- 
parted to  every  horse  that  eats  or  drinks  at  the  same  place. 
Possibly  all  do  not  take  it,  however;  for  such  is  the  power 
of  healthful  Kature  to  resist  disease,  that  many  horses  have 
escaped,  even  when  exposed  to  this  contagion,  which  is  more 
readily  communicated  than  any  other  known. 

But  why  is  such  an  animal  admitted  to  the  stable,  or  al- 
lowed to  associate  with  others  in  any  manner?  One  reason 
we  have  intimated;  namely,  ignorance  on  the  part  of  his 
keeper  concerning  his  real  condition.  In  the  case  above 
supposed^  he  is  received  by  some  attendant,  led  to  a  stall, 
fed,  and  watered,  without  the  most  cursory  examination,  or 
a  single  thought  of  his  being  diseased.  Even  if  any  exam- 
ination is  made,  it  is  not  a  little  difficult  for  any  but  the 
most  experienced  to  distinguish  between  glanders  and  some 
other  aifections  which  occasion  running  at  the  nose.  Often, 
too,  the  discharge  is  so  inconsiderable,  and  so  much  like  the 
common  water  from  the  eye,  that  it  runs  on  for  months  entirely 
unsuspected,  meantime  scattering  its  mischief  in  all  directions. 

The  most  scientific  practitioner  is  sometimes  puzzled  in  dis- 
criminating between  glanders  and  some  other  affections  of  the 
head.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  however,  that  this  be 
done  correctly;  and  in  this,  the  decision  must  usually  be  made 


132  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

by  the  farmer  himself.  We  shall,  therefore,  not  only  de 
scribe  the  disease,  as  it  has  come  under  our  own  observation, 
as  accurately  as  possible,  but  shall  not  hesitate  to  avail  our- 
selves of  the  experience  of  others,  to  the  end  that  the  reader, 
b}'  having  all  the  light  which  the  best  writers  have  been  able 
to  cast  upon  the  subject,  may  be  so  full}'-  informed  as  to  be 
enabled  to  detect  the  disease  in  every  form,  and  to  guard 
against  it  in  every  possible  manner. 

There  are  three  stages  of  glanders,  as  manifested  in  the 
discharge  from  the  nostrils.  In  the  first  of  these,  the  dis- 
charge 80  much  resembles  that  which  attends  other  nasal 
aftections,  and  even  the  healthy  secretions  which  moisten 
the  eyes,  that  the  disease  is  not  recognized,  but  passes  on  to 
the  second,  and  perhaps  even  the  third  stage,  before  the 
owner  awakens  to  a  realization  of  the  dreadful  enemy  which 
confronts  him. 

Two  peculiarities  distinguish  the  first  stage  as  glanders. 
The  first  is,  that  the  discharges  are  of  a  more  sticky  char- 
acter than  any  others ;  the  second  is,  that  the  discharge,  in 
nearly  all  cases,  is  confined  to  one  nostril,  and  that  the  left. 
Why  this  is  so  has  never  been  satisfactorily  explained.  We 
only  know  the  fact.  Occasionally,  however,  the  right  nos- 
tril is  the  one  affected,  but  rarely  both  nostrils  at  the  outset. 

A  thickening  and  increased  flow  characterizes  the  dis- 
charge in  the  second  stage.  Its  consistence  becomes  more 
mucous  and  sticky,  and  its  color  changes  from  an  almost 
transparent  clearness  to  a  whitish  tinge,  bordering  upon  yel- 
low. In  many  cases  it  drips  from  the  nose  in  long,  stringy 
clots.  The  membrane  of  the  nose  shows  a  pallid  or  leaden 
hue,  and  ulcers  sometimes  make  their  appearance  high  up 
in  the  nostril. 

The  third  and  last  stage  is  usually  slow  in  its  develop- 
ment, and,  from  the  concurrent  testimony  of  all  reputable 
authorities,  must  be  regarded  as  incurable.  In  this,  the  dis- 
charges are  greatly  thickened,  its  mucous  consistency  and 
stickiness  proportionately  increased,  its  color  considerably 
darker  and  yellower,  and  frequently  it  is  flecked  with  blood. 


I    V 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  .        133 

As  has  been  already  stated,  glanders  is  a  foreign  rather 
than  an  American  disease.  Where  one  case  occurs  in  the 
United  States,  there  are,  at  least,  two  or  three  in  England 
and  France.  In  fact,  our  continent  has  never  been  devas- 
tated by  contagious  affections,  among  either  man  or  beast, 
to  the  same  extent  as  the  Old  World.  Opportunities  for  in- 
vestigating this  disease,  and  tracing  out  its  history  and  vari- 
ous developments,  have  been  much  more  abundant  in  Europe 
than  in  this  country. 

In  this  connection,  we  must  acknowledge  our  indebted- 
ness to  Mr.  Youatt's  excellent  treatise  upon  the  English 
horse.  For  the  benefit  of  the  reader,  we  introduce  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  that  deservedly-esteemed  work,  and  are 
satisfied  that,  notwithstanding  its  great  length,  occasional 
inaccuracies,  and  despairing  conclusions,  he  will  fully  appre- 
ciate the  fidelity  and  research  which  it  displays.  Its  descrip- 
tions give  it  great  value : 

"  The  earliest  symptom  of  glanders  is  an  increased  dis- 
charge from  the  nostril,  small  in  quantity,  constantly  flowing, 
of  an  aqueous  character,  and  a  little  mucus  mingling  with  it. 

"  The  discharge  of  glanders  is  not  sticky  when  it  may  be 
first  recognized.  It  is  an  aqueous  or  mucous,  but  small  and 
constant  discharge^  and  is  thus  distinguished  from  catarrh, 
or  nasal  gleet,  or  any  other  defluxion  from  the  nostril.  It 
should  be  impressed  on  the  mind  of  every  horseman  that 
this  small  and  constant  defluxion,  overlooked  by  the  groom 
and  by  the  owner,  and  too  often  by  the  veterinary  surgeon, 
is  a  most  suspicious  circumstance. 

"  If  a  horse  is  in  the  highest  condition,  yet  has  this  small 
constant  aqueous  discharge,  and  especially  from  one  nostril, 
no  time  should  be  lost  in  separating  him  from  his  compan- 
ions. IsTo  harm  will  be  done  by  this,  although  the  defluxion 
should  not  ultimately  betray  lurking  mischief  of  a  worse 
character. 

"  The  peculiar  viscidity  and  gluiness,  which  is  generally  sup- 
posed to  distinguish  the  discharge  of  glanders  from  all  other 
mucous  and  prevalent  secretions,  belongs  to  the  second  stage 


134  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

of  the  disease,  and,  for  many  months  before  this,  glanders 
may  have  existed  in  an  insidious  and  highly-contagious  form. 
It  must  be  acknowledged,  however,  that,  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  some  degree  of  stickiness  does  characterize  the  dis- 
charge of  glanders  from  a  very  early  period. 

"  It  is  a  singular  circumstance,  for  which  no  satisfactory 
account  has  yet  been  given,  that  when  one  nostril  alone  is 
attacked,  it  is,  in  a  great  majority  of  cases,  the  near,  or  left. 
M.  Dupuy,  the  director  of  the  veterinary  school  at  Toulouse, 
gives  a  very  singular  account  of  this.  He  says  that  out  of 
eighty  cases  of  glanders,  that  came  under  his  notice,  only  one 
was  affected  in  the  right  nostril.  The  difference  in  the  af- 
fected nostril  does  not  exist  to  so  great  an  extent  in  Great 
Britain ;  but,  in  two  horses  out  of  three,  or  three  out  of  four, 
the  discharge  is  from  the  left  nostril. 

"This  discharge,  in  cases  of  infection,  may  continue,  and 
in  so  slight  a  degree  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible  for  many 
months,  or  even  two  or  three  years,  unattended  by  any  other 
disease,  even  ulceration  of  the  nostril,  and  yet  the  horse  be- 
ing decidedly  glandered  from  the  beginning,  and  capable  of 
propagating  the  malady.  In  process  of  time,  however,  pus 
mingles  with  the  discharge,  and  then  another  and  a  charac- 
teristic symptom  appears.  Some  of  this  is  absorbed,  and  the 
neighboring  glands  become  affected.  If  there  is  discharge 
from  both  nostrils,  the  glands  within  the  under  jaw  will  be 
on  both  sides  enlarged.  If  the  discharge  is  from  one  nostril 
only,  the  swelled  gland  will  be  found  on  that  side  alone. 
Glanders,  however,  will  frequently  exist  at  an  early  stage 
without  these  swelled  glands,  and  some  other  diseases,  as 
catarrh,  will  produce  them.  Then  we  must  look  out  for 
some  peculiarity  about  these  glands,  and  we  shall  readily  find 
it.  The  swelling  may  be  at  first  somewhat  large  and  dif- 
fused, but  the  surrounding  enlargement  soon  goes  off,  and 
one  or  two  small  distinct  glands  remain ;  and  they  are  not 
in  the  center  of  the  channel,  but  adhere  closely  to  the  jaw 
on  the  affected  side. 
V  "The  membrane  of  the  nose  should  now  be  examined, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  '  135 

and  will  materially  guide  our  opinion.  It  will  either  be  of 
a  dark,  purplish  hue,  or  almost  of  a  leaden  color,  or  of  any 
shade  between  the  two ;  or  if  there  is  some  of  the  redness 
of  inflammation,  it  will  have  a  purple  tinge ;  but  these  will 
never  be  the  faint  pink  blush  of  health,  or  the  intense  and 
vivid  red  of  inflammation.  Spots  of  ulceration  will  proba- 
bly appear  on  the  membrane  covering  the  cartilage  of  the 
nose — not  mere  sore  places,  or  streaks  of  abrasion,  and  quite 
superficial,  but  small  ulcers,  usually  approaching  to  a  circu- 
lar form,  deep,  and  with  the  edges  abrupt  and  prominent. 
When  these  appearances  are  observed,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
about  the  matter.  Care  should  be  taken,  however,  to  ascer- 
tain that  those  ulcers  do  actually  exist,  for  spots  of  mucus, 
adhering  to  the  membrane,  have  been  more  than  once  taken 
for  them.  The  finger  should,  if  possible,  be  passed  over  the 
supposed  ulcer,  in  order  to  determine  whether  it  can  be 
w^iped  away;  and  it  should  be  recollected,  as  was  hinted 
when  describing  the  duct  that  conveys  the  tears  to  the  nose, 
that  the  orifice  of  that  duct,  just  within  the  nostril,  and  on 
the  inner  side  of  it,  has  been  mistaken  for  a  cancerous  ulcer. 
This  orifice  is  on  the  continuation  of  the  common  skin 
of  the  muzzle,  which  runs  a  little  way  up  the  nostril,  while 
the  ulcer  of  glanders  is  on  the  proper  membrane  of  the  nose 
above.  The  line  of  separation*  between  the  two  is  evident 
on  the  slightest  inspection. 

'^  When  ulcers  begin  to  appear  on  the  membrane  of  the 
nose,  the  constitution  of  the  horse  is  soon  evidently  afifected. 
The  patient  loses  flesh ;  his  belly  is  tucked  up ;  his  coat  is 
unthrifty,  and  readily  coming  ofi";  the  appetite  is  impaired ; 
the  strength  fails ;  cough,  more  or  less  urgent,  may  be  heard ; 
the  discharge  from  the  nose  will  increase  in  quantity;  it  will 
be  discolored,  bloody,  and  offensive  to  the  smell ;  the  ulcers 
in  the  nose  will  become  larger  and  more  numerous,  and,  the 
air-passages  being  obstructed,  a  grating,  choking  noise  will 
be  heard  at  every  act  of  breathing.  There  is  now  a  peculiar 
tenderness  about  the  forehead.  The  membrane  lining  the 
frontal  sinuses  is  inflamed  and  ulcerated,  and  the  integument 


136  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

of  the  forehead  becomes  thickened,  and  somewhat  swelled. 
Farcy  is  now  superadded  to  glanders,  or  glanders  has  degen- 
erated into  farcy,  and  more  of  the  absorbents  are  involved. 

"At  or  before  this  time,  little  tumors  appear  about  the 
muscles,  face,  and  neck,  following  the  course  of  the  veins  and 
the  absorbents,  for  they  run  side  by  side,  and  these  the  tumors 
soon  ulcerate.  Tumors,  or  buds,  still  pursuing  the  path  of 
the  absorbents,  soon  appear  on  the  inside  of  the  thighs.  They 
are  connected  together  by  a  corded  substance.  This  is  the 
inflamed  and  enlarged  lymphatic,  and  ulceration  quickly 
follows  the  appearance  of  these  buds.  The  deeper-seated 
absorbents  are  next  affected;  and  one  or  both  of  the  hind 
legs  swell  to  a  great  size,  and  become  stiff,  hot,  and  tender. 
The  loss  of  flesh  and  strength  is  more  marked  every  day. 
The  membrane  of  the  nose  becomes  of  a  dirty,  livid  color. 
The  membrane  of  the  mouth  is  strangely  pallid.  The  eye  is 
infiltrated  with  a  yellow  fluid,  and  the  discharge  from  the 
nose  becomes  more  profuse,  and  insufferably  oftensive.  The 
animal  presents  one  mass  of  putrefaction,  and,  at  last,  dies 
exhausted. 

"The  enlargement  of  the  submaxillary  glands,  as  connected 
with  this  disease,  may,  perhaps,  require  a  little  further  con- 
sideration. A  portion  of  the  fluid  secreted  by  the  membrane 
of  the  nose,  and  altered  in  character  by  the  peculiar  inflam- 
mation there  existing,  is  absorbed;  and,  as  it  is  conveyed 
along  the  lymphatics,  in  order  to  arrive  at  the  place  of  its 
destination,  it  inflames  them,  and  causes  them  to  enlarge  and 
suppurate.  There  is,  however,  a  peculiarity  accompanying 
the  inflammation,  which  they  take  from  the  absorbtion  of  the 
virus  of  glanders.  They  are  rarely  large,  except  at  first,  or 
hot  or  tender ;  but  they  are  characterized  by  a  singular  hard- 
ness, a  proximity  to  the  jaw-bone,  and  frequently  -actual 
adhesion  to  it.  The  adhesion  is  produced  by  the  inflamma- 
tory action  going  forward  in  the  glands,  and  the  effusion  of 
coagulable  lymph.  This  hardness  and  adhesion  accompany- 
ing discharge  from  the  nostrils,  and  being  on  the  same  side 
with  the  nostril  whence  the  discharge  proceeds,  aflbrd  proof 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  187 

not  to  be  controverted  that  the  horse  is  glandered.  ISTotwith- 
standing  this,  however,  there  are  cases  in  which  the  glands 
are  neither  adherent  nor  much  enlarged,  and  yet  there  is  a 
constant  discharge  from  one  or  both  nostrils.  The  veter- 
inary surgeon  would  have  little  hesitation  in  pronouncing 
them  to  be  cases  of  glanders.  He  will  trast  to  the  adhesion', 
of  the  gland,  but  he  will  not  be  misled  by  its  looseness,  nor 
even  by  its  absence  altogether. 

"  Glanders  have  been  confounded  with  strangles,  and  by 
those  who  ought  to  have  known  better.  Strangles  are  pe- 
culiar to  young  horses.  The  early  stage  resembles  cold,  with 
some  degree  of  fever  and  sore  throat — generally  with  dis- 
tressing cough,  or,  at  least,  frequent  wheezing;  and  when 
the  enlargement  appears  beneath  the  jaw,  it  is  not  a  single 
small  gland,  but  a  swelling  of  the  whole  of  the  substance  be- 
tween the  jaws,  growing  harder  toward  the  center,  and,  after 
awhile,  appearing  to  contain  a  fluid,  and  breaking.  In  stran- 
gles the  membrane  of  the  nose  will  be  intense!}^  red,  and  the 
discharge  from  the  nose  profuse  and  purulent,  or  mixed  with 
matter  almost  from  the  first.  When  the  tumor  has  burst, 
the  fever  will  abate,  and  the  horse  will  speedily  get  well. 

"  Should  the  discharge  from  the  nose  continue,  as  it  -some- 
times does,  for  a  considerable  time  after  the  horse  has  recov- 
ered from  strangles,  there  is  no  cause  for  fear.  Simple 
strangles  need  never  degenerate  into  glanders.  Good  keep- 
ing, and  small  doses  of  tonio  medicines,  will  gradually  perfect, 
the  cure. 

"Glanders  have  been  confounded  with  catarrh,  or  cold;  bu^^ 
the  distinction  between  them  is  plain  enough.     Fever,  loss  ' 
of  appetite,  and  sore  throat  accompanying  cold — the  quidding 
of  the  food  and  gulping  of  the  water  are  sufficient  indica- 
tions of  the  latter  of  these;  the  discharge  from  the  nose  is 
profuse,  and,  perhaps,  purulent;  the  glands  under  the  jaw,  if 
swelled,  are  movable ;  there  is  a  thickening  around  them,  and      A 
they  are  tender  and  hot.     With  proper  treatment,  the  fever 
abates,  the  cough  disappears,  the  swellings  under  the  throat 
subside,  and  the  discharge  from  the  nose  gradually  ceases; 


138  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

or,  if  it  remains,  it  is  usually  very  different  from  that  which 
characterizes  glanders. 

"  In  glanders  there  is  seldom  cough  of  any  consequence,  and, 
generally,  no  cough  at  all.  A  running  from  the  nose,  small 
in  quantity,  and,  from  the  smallness  of  its  quantity,  drying 
about  the  edges  of  the  nostrils,  and  presenting  some  appear- 
ance of  stickiness,  will,  in  a  few  cases,  remain  after  catarrh, 
and  especially  after  the  influenza  of  spring ;  and  these  have 
gradually  assumed  the  character  of  glanders,  and  more  par- 
ticularly when  they  have  been  accompanied  by  enlarged 
glanders  and  ulceration  in  the  nose.  Here  the  aid  of  a  judi- 
cious veterinary  surgeon  is  indispensable,  and  he  will  some- 
times experience  considerable  difficulty  in  deciding  the  case. 
One  circumstance  will  principally  guide  him.  Xo  disease 
will  run  on  to  glanders  which  has  not,  to  a  considerable  and 
palpable  degree,  impaired  and  broken  down  the  constitution, 
and  every  disease  that  does  this  will  run  on  to  glanders.^  He 
will  look  then  to  the  general  state  and  condition  of  the 
horse,  as  well  as  to  the  situation  of  the  glands,  the  nature  of 
the  discharge,  and  the  character  of  the  ulceration.  ' 

"If,  after  all,  he  is  in  doubt,  an  experiment  may  be  resorted 
to,  which  wears,  indeed,  the  appearance  of  cruelty,  and  which 
only  the  safety  of  a  valuable  animal  or  of  a  whole  team  can 
justify.  He  will  inoculate  an  ass,  or  a  horse  already  con- 
demned to  the  hounds,  with  the  matter  discharged  from  the 
nose.  If  the  horse  is  glandered,  the  symptoms  of  glanders, 
or  farcy,  will  appear  in  the  inoculated  animal  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days. 

"  The  post-mortem  examination  of  the  horse  will  remove  every 
doubt  as  to  the  character  of  the  disease.  The  nostril  is  gen- 
erally more  or  less  blanched  with  spots  or  lines  of  inflamma- 
tion, of  considerable  intensity.  Ulceration  is  almost  invari- 
ably found,  and  of  a  chancrous  character,  on  the  septum,  and 
also  on  the  sethmoid  and  turbinated  bones.  The  ulcers  evi- 
dently follow  the  course  of  the  absorbents,  sometimes  almost 

*We  regard  this  as  certainly  an  over-statement. 


I. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  139 


confined  to  the  track  of  the  main  vessel,  or,  if  scattered  over 
the  membrane,  generally  thickest  over  the  path  of  the  lym- 
phatic. The  sethmoid  and  turbinated  bones  are  often  filled 
with  pus,  and  sometimes  eaten  through  and  carious ;  but,  in 
the  majority  of  cases,  the  ulceration  is  confined  to  the  ex- 
ternal membrane,  although  there  may  be  pus  within.  In 
aggravated  cases,  the  disease  extends  through  all  the  cells  of 
the  face  and  head. 

"  The  path  of  the  disease  down  the  larynx  and  windpipe  is 
easily  traced,  and  the  ulcers  follow  one  line,  that  of  the  ab- 
sorbents. In  aggravated  cases,  this  can  generally  be  traced 
on  to  the  lu?igs.  It  produces  inflammation  of  these  organs, 
characterized,  in  some  cases,  by  congestion;  but  in  other 
cases,  congestion  having  gone  on  to  hepatization,  in  which 
the  cellular  texture  of  the  lungs  is  obliterated.  Most  fre- 
quently, when  the  lungs  are  afl:ected  at  all,  tubercles  are 
found  (miliary  tubercles),  minute  granulated  spots  on  the  sur- 
face or  in  the  substance  of  the  lungs,  and  not  accompanied 
by  much  inflammation.  In  a  few  cases,  there  are  larger  tu- 
bercles, w^hich  soften  and  burst,  and  terminate  in  cavities  of 
varying  size. 

"In  some  cases,  and  showing  that  glanders  is  not  essentially 
or  necessarily  a  disease  of  the  lungs,  there  is  no  morbid  afiec- 
tion  whatever  in  those  organs. 

"The  history  thus  given  of  the  symptoms  of  glanders  will 
clearly  point  out  its  nature.  It  is  an  affection  of  the  mem- 
brane of  the  nose.  Some  say  that  it  is  the  production  of 
tubercles,  or  minute  tumors,  in  the  upper  cells  of  the  nose, 
w^hich  may  long  exist  undetected,  except  b}^  a  scarcely  per- 
ceptible running  from  the  nostril,  caused  by  the  irritation 
which  they  occasion.  These  tubercles  gradually  become 
more  numerous ;  they  cluster  together,  suppurate  and  break, 
and  small  ulcerations  are  formed.  The  ulcers  discharge  a 
poisonous  matter,  which  is  absorbed  and  taken  up  by  the 
neighboring  glands,  and  this,  with  greater  or  less  rapidity, 
vitiates  the  constitution  of  the  animal,  and  is  capable  of 
communicating  the  disease  to  others.     Some  content  them- 


140  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

selves  with  saying  that  is  an  inflammation  of  the  membrane 
of  the  nose,  which  may  assume  an  acute  or  chronic  form,  or, 
in  a  very  short  time,  or  exceedingly  slowly,  run  on  to  ulcer- 
ation. 

"  It  is  inflammation,  whether  specific  or  common,  of  the 
lining  membrane  of  the  nose,  possibly  for  months,  and  even 
years,  confined  to  that  membrane,  and  even  to  a  portion  of 
it,  the  health  and  usefulness  of  the  animal  not  being  in  the 
slightest  degree  impaired.  Then,  from  some  unknown  cause, 
not  a  new  but  an  intenser  action  is  set  up,  the  inflammation 
more  speedily  runs  its  course,  and  the  membrane  becomes 
ulcerated.  The  inflammation  spreads  on  either  side  down 
the  septum,  and  the  ulceration  at  length  assumes  that  pe- 
culiar chancrous  form  which  characterizes  inflammation  of  the 
absorbents.  Even  then,  when  the  discharge  becomes  gluey, 
and  sometimes  after  chancers  have  appeared,  the  horse  is 
apparently  well.  There  are  hundreds  of  glandered  horses 
about  the  country,  with  not  a  sick  one  among  them.  For 
months  or  years  this  disease  may  do  no  injury  to  the  general 
health.  The  inflammation  is  purely  local,  and  is  only  recog- 
nized by  the  invariable  accompaniment  of  inflammation  and 
increased  secretion.  Its  neighbors  fall  around,  but  the  dis- 
ease affects  not  the  animal  whence  it  came.  At  length,  a 
constitutional  inflammation  appears,  farcy  is  established  in 
its  most  horrible  form,  and  death  speedily  closes  the  scene. 

"What,  then,  is  the  cause  of  this  insidious,  dreadful  disease? 
Although  we  may  be  in  a  manner  powerless  as  to  the  re- 
moval of  the  remedy,  yet,  if  we  can  trace  its  cause  and  man- 
ner of  action,  we  may,  at  least,  be  able  to  do  something  in 
the  way  of  prevention.  Much  has  been  accomplished  in  this 
way.  Glanders  does  not  commit  one-tenth  part  of  the  rav- 
ages which  it  did  thirty  or  forty  years  ago,  and,  generally 
speaking,  it  is  only  found  as  a  frequent  and  prevalent  disease 
where  neglect,  filth,  and  want  of  ventilation  exist. 

"  Glanders  may  be  either  bred  in  the  horse  or  communicated 
by  contagion.  What  we  have  further  to  remark  on  this 
malady  will  be  arranged  under  these  two  heads. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  141- 

"Improper  stable  management  we  believe  to  be  a  far  more 
frequent  cause  of  glanders  than  contagion.  The  air  which 
ia  necessary  to  respiration  is  changed  and  empoisoned  in  its 
passage  through  the  lungs,  and  a  fresh  supply  is  necessary 
for  the  support  of  life.  That  supply  may  be  sufficient  barely 
to  support  life,  but  not  to  prevent  the  vitiated  air  from  again 
and  again  passing  into  the  lungs,  and  producing  irritation 
and  disease  The  membrane  of  the  nose,  possessed  of  ex- 
treme sensibility  for  the  purposes  of  smell,  is  easily  "irritated 
by  this  poison,  and  close  and  ill-ventilated  stables  oftenest 
witness  the  ravages  of  glanders.  Professor  Coleman  relates 
a  case  which  proves  to  demonstration  the  rapid  and  fatal 
agency  of  this  cause.  *  In  the  expedition  to  Quiberen,  the 
horses  had  not  been  long  on  board  the  transports,  before  it 
became  necessary  to  shut  down  the  hatchways  for  a  few 
hours ;  the  consequence  of  this  was,  that  some  of  the  horses 
were  suffocated,  and  that  all  the  rest  were  disembarked 
either  glandered  or  farcied.' 

'*  In  a  close  stable  the  air  is  not  only  poisoned,  by  being  re- 
peatedly breathed,  but  there  are  other  and  more  powerful 
sources  of  mischief.  The  dung  and  the  urine  are  suffered  to 
remain,  fermenting  and  giving  out  injurious  gases.  In  many 
dark  and  ill-managed  stables,  a  portion  of  the  dung  may  be 
swept  away,  but  the  urine  lies  for  days  at  the  bottom  of  the 
bed,  the  disgusting  and  putrifying  nature  of  which  is  ill -con- 
cealed by  a  little  fresh  straw,  which  the  lazy  housekeepei 
scatters  over  the  top. 

"The  stables  of  gentlemen  are  generally  kept  hot  enough, 
and  far  too  hot,  although  in  many  of  them  a  more  rational 
mode  of  treatment  is  beginning  to  be  adopted ;  but  they  are 
lofty  and  roomy,  and  the  horses  are  not  too  much  crowded 
together,  and  a  most  scrupulous  regard  is  paid  to  cleanli- 
ness. Glanders  seldom  prevail  there.  The  stables  of  the 
farmer  are  ill-managed  and  filthy  enough,  and  the  ordure  and 
urine  sometimes  remain  from  week  to  week,  until  the  horse 
lies  on  a  perfect  dung-hill.  Glanders  seldom  prevail  there; 
for  the  same  carelessness  which  permits  the  filth  to  accumu- 


142  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

late,  leaves  many  a  cranny  for  the  wind  to  enter  and  sweep 
away  the  deleterious  fume  from  this  badly  roofed  and  un- 
ceiled  place. 

"  The  stables  of  the  horse-dealer  are  hot  enough,  but  a  prin- 
ciple of  strict  cleanliness  is  enforced,  for  there  must  be  noth- 
ing to  offend  the  eye  or  nose  of  the  customer,  and  there 
glanders  are  seldom  found;  but  if  the  stables  of  many  of 
our  post  horses  and  those  employed  on  our  canals  are  ex- 
amined— almost  too  low  for  a  tall  horse  to  stand  upright  in 
them,  too  dark  for  the  accumulation  of  filth  to  be  per- 
ceived, too  far  from  the  eye  of  the  master,  ill- drained  and 
ill-paved,  and  governed  by  a  false  principle  of  economy, 
which  begrudges  the  labor  of  the  man  and  the  cleanliness 
and  comfort  of  the  animal — these  will  be  the  very  hot-beds  of 
the  disease,  and  in  many  establishments  it  is  an  almost  con- 
stant resident. 

"  Glanders  may  be  produced  by  any  thing  that  injures,  or 
for  a  length  of  time  acts  upon  and  weakens  the  vital  energy 
of  this  membrane.  They  have  been  known  to  follow  a  frac- 
ture of  the  bones  of  the  nose.  They  have  been  the  conse- 
quence of  violent  catarrh,  and  particularly  the  long-continued 
discharge  from  the  nostrils,  of  which  we  have  spoken.  They 
have  been  produced  by  the  injection  of  stimulating  and  acid 
substances  up  the  nostrils.  Every  thing  that  weakens  the 
constitution  will  generally  lead  to  glanders.  It  is  not  only 
from  bad  stable  management,  but  from  the  hardships  which 
they  endure,  and  the  exhausted  state  of  their  constitution, 
that  the  post  and  machine  horses  are  subject  to  glanders,  and 
there  is  scarcely  an  inflammatory  disease  to  which  the  horse 
is  subject  that  is  not  occasionally  wound  up  and  terminated 
by  the  appearance  of  glanders. 

"Among  the  causes  of  glanders  is  want  of  regular  exercise. 
The  connection,  although  not  evident  at  first  glance,  is  too 
certain.  When  a  horse  has  been  worked  with  peculiar  se- 
verity, and  has  become  out  of  spirits  and  falls  away  in  flesh 
and  refuses  to  eat,  a  little  rest  and  a  few  mashes  would  make 
all  right  again ;  but  the  groom  plies  him  with  cordials,  and 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  143 

adds  fuel  to  the  fire,  and  aggravates  the  state  of  fever  that 
has  commenced.  What  is  the  necessary  consequence  of  this? 
The  weakest  goes  to  the  wall,  and  either  the  lungs,  or  the 
feet,  or  this  membrane — that  of  the  nose — the  weakest  of  all, 
exposed  day  after  day  to  the  stimulating,  debilitating  in- 
fluences that  have  been  described,  becomes  the  principal  seat 
of  inflammation  that  terminates  in  glanders. 

"  It  is  in  this  way  that  glanders  have  so  frequently  been 
known  to  follow  a  hard  day's  chase.  The  seeds  of  the.  dis- 
ease may  have  previously  existed,  but  its  progress  will  be 
hastened  by  the  general  and  febrile  action  excited,  the  ab- 
surd measures  which  are  adopted  not  being  calculated  to 
subdue  fever,  but  to  increase  the  stimulus. 

"  Every  exciting  cause  of  disease  exerts  its  chief  and  worst 
influence  on  this  membrane.  At  the  close  of  a  severe  cam- 
paign, the  horses  are  more  than  decimated  by  this  pest.  At 
the  termination  of  the  Peninsular  War,  the  ravages  of  this 
disease  were  dreadful.  Every  disease  will  predispose  the 
membrane  of  the  nose  to  take  on  the  inflammation  9f  glan- 
ders, and  with  many — as  strangles,  catarrh,  bronchitis,  and 
pneumonia — there  is  a  continuity  of  membrane,  an  associa- 
tion of  function,  and  a  thousand  sympathies. 

"  There  is  not  a  disease  which  may  not  lay  the  foundation 
for  glanders.  Weeks,  months,  and  years  *  may  intervene  be- 
tween the  predisposing  cause  and  actual  evil;  but  at  length 
the  whole  frame  may  become  excited  and  debilitated  in 
many  a  way,  and  then  this  debilitated  portion  of  it  is  the 
first  to  yield  to  the  attack.  Atmospheric  influence  has  some- 
what to  do  with  the  prevalence  of  glanders.  It  is  not  so 
frequent  in  summer  as  in  winter,  partly  attributable,  perhaps, 
to  the  different  state  of  the  stable  in  the  summer  months — 
neither  the  air  so  close  or  so  foul,  nor  the  alternations  of 
temperature  so  great. 

"  There  are  some  remarkable  cases  of  the  connection  of 
moisture,  or  moist  exhalations,  that  deserve  record.  When  new 

*  We  are  convinced  that  in  this  Mr.  Youatt  is  greatly  in  error. 


144  .  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

stabling  was  built  for  the  troops  at  Hythe,  and  inhabited  be 
fore  the  walls  were  perfectly  dry,  many  of  the  horses,  that 
had  been  removed  from  an  open,  dry  and  healthy  situation, 
became  affected  with  glanders,  but  some  time  having  passed 
over,  the  horses  in  those  stables  were  as  healthy  as  the  others, 
and  glanders  ceased  to  appear.  An  innkeeper  at  Wakefield, 
built  some  extensive  stabling  for  his  horses,  and,  inhabiting 
them  too  soon,  lost  a  great  proportion  of  his  cattle  from 
glanders.  There  are  not  now  more  healthy  stables  in  the 
place.  The  immense  range  of  stables  under  the  Adelphi,  in 
the  Strand,  where  the  light  never  enters,  and  the  supply  of 
fresh  air  is  not  too  abundant,  were  for  a  long  time  notori- 
ously unhealthy,  and  many  valuable  horses  were  destroyed 
by  glanders ;  but  now  they  are  filled  with  the  finest  wagon 
and  dray  horaes  that  the  metropolis  or  country  contains,  and 
they  are  fully  as  healthy  as  in  the  majority  of  stables  above 
ground. 

"  There  is  one  more  cause  to  be  slightly  mentioned — heridi- 
tary  predisposition.  This  has  not  been  sufiiciently  estimated, 
with  regard  to  the  question  now  under  consideration,  as  well 
as  w^ith  respect  to  every  thing  connected  with  the  breeding 
of  the  horse.  There  is  scarcely  a  disease  that  does  not  run 
in  the  stock.  There  is  that  in  the  structure  of  various  parts, 
or  their  dispositions  to  be  affected  by  certain  influences, 
which  perpetuates  in  the  offspring  the  diseases  of  the  sire; 
and  thus  contraction,  opthalmia,  roaring,  are  decidedly  he- 
reditary, and  so  is  glanders.  M.  Dupuy  relates  some  decisive 
cases.  A  mare,  on  dissection,  exhibited  every  appearance 
of  glanders ;  her  filly,  who  resembled  her  in  form  and  in 
her  vicious  propensities,  died  glandered  at  six  years  old.  A 
second  and  a  third  mare,  and  their  foals,  presented  the  same 
fatal  proof  that  glanders  are  hereditary. 

"  Glanders  are  highly  contagious.  The  farmer  can  not  be 
too  deeply  impressed  with  the  certainty  of  this.  Consider- 
ing the  degree  to  which  this  disease,  even  at  the  present 
day,  often  prevails,  the  legislature  would  be  justified  in  in- 


DISJ]ASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  145 

terfering,  by  some  severe  enactments,  as  it  has  done  in  the 
case  of  small-pox  in  the  human  subject. 

^'  The  early  and  marked  symptoms  of  glanders  is  a  discharge 
from  the  nostrils  of  a  peculiar  character,  and  if  that,  even  be- 
fore it  becomes  prevalent,  is  rubbed  on  a  wound,  or  on  a  mu- 
cous surface,  as  the  nostrils,  it  will  produce  a  similar  disease. 
If  the  division  between  two  horses  were  sufficiently  high  to 
prevent  all  smelling  and  snorting  at  each  other,  and  contact 
of  every  kind,  and  they  drank  not  out  of  the  same  pail,  a 
sound  horse  might  live  for  years,  uninfected,  by  the  side  of 
a  glandered  one.  The  matter  of  glanders  has  been  mixed 
up  into  a  ball,  and  given  to  a  healthy  horse,  without  effect. 
Some  horses  have  eaten  the  hay  left  by  those  that  were 
glandered,  and  no  bad  consequence  has  followed,  while 
others  have  been  speedily  infected.  The  glanderous  matter 
must  come  in  contact  with  a  wound,  or  fall  on  some  mem- 
brane thin  and  delicate,  like  that  of  the  nose,  and  through 
which  it  may  be  absorbed.  It  is  easy,  then,  accustomed  as 
horses  are  to  be  crowded  together,  and  to  recognize  each 
other  by  the  smell — eating  out  of  the  same  manger,  and 
drinking  from  the  same  pail — to  imagine  that  the  disease 
may  be  very  readily  communicated.  One  horse  has  passed 
the  other  when  he  has  been  in  the  act  of  snorting,  and  has 
become  glandered.  Some  fillies  have  received  the  infection 
from  the  matter  blown  by  the  wind  across  the  lane,  when 
a  glandered  horse  in  the  opposite  field  has  claimed  acquaint- 
ance by  neighing  or  snorting.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  an 
infected  horse  to  remain  long  in  a  stable  with  others  with- 
out irreparable  mischief. 

*'  If  some  persons  underrate  the  danger,  it  is  because  the  dis- 
ease may  remain  unrecognized  in  the  infected  horse  for  some 
months,  or  even  years, -and,  therefore,  when  it  appears,  it  ia 
attributed  to  other  causes,  or  to  after  inoculation.  Ko  glan- 
dered horse  should  be  employed  on  any  farm,  nor  be  per* 
mitted  to  work  on  any  road,  or  even  to  pasture  on  any  field. 
Mischief  may  be  so  easily  and  extensively  effected,  that  the 
public  interest  demands  that  every  infected  animal  should 
10 


146  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

be  summarily  destroyed,  or  given  over  for  experiment  to  a 
veterinary  surgeon,  or  recognized  veterinary  establishment. 

"  There  are  a  few  instances  of  the  spontaneous  cure  of 
chronic  glanders.  The  discharge  has  existed  for  a  consider- 
able time.  At  length,  it  has  gradually  diminished,  and  has 
ceased;  and  this  has  occurred  under  every  kind  of  treatment, 
and  without  any  medical  treatment;  but,  ill  the  majority  of 
these  supposed  cases,  the  matter  was  only  pent  up  for  awhile, 
and  then,  bursting  from  its  confinement,  it  flowed  again  in 
double  quantity ;  or,  if  glanders  have  not  reappeared,  the 
horse,  in  eighteen  or  twenty-four  months,  has  become  far- 
cied or  consumptive,  and  died.  These  supposed  cases  are  few 
and  far  between,  and  are  to  be  regarded  with  much  suspicion. 

"  As  for  medicine,  there  is  scarcely  a  drug  to  which  a  fair 
trial  has  not  been  given,  and  many  of  them  have  had  a 
temporary  reputation ;  but*  they  have  passed  away,  one  after 
another,  and  are  no  longer  heard  of.  The  blue  vitriol  and 
the  Spanish  fly  have  held  out  longest ;  and,  in  a  few  cases, 
either  Nattire  or  these  medicines  have  done  wonders,  but,  in 
the  majority  of  instances,  they  have  palpably  failed.  The 
diniodide  of  copper  has  lately  acquired  some  reputation. 
It  has  been  of  great  service  in  cases  of  farcy,  but  is-  not  to 
be  depended  on  in  glanders. 

"Where  the  life  of  a  valuable  horse  is  at  stake,  auj.  the 
owner  adopts  every  precaution  to  prevent  infection,  he  may 
subject  the  horse  to  medical  treatment ;  but  every  humane 
man  will  indignantly  object  to  the  slitting  of  the  nostrils,  the 
scraping  of  the  cartilage,  the  searing  of  the  gland,  the  firing 
of  the  frontal  and  nasal  bones,  a;id  to  those  injections  of 
mustard  and  capsicum,  corrosive  sublimate  and  vitriol,  by 
which  the  horse  has  been  tortured  and  the  practitioner  dis- 
graced. At  the  veterinary  school,  and  by  veterinary  sur- 
geons, it  will  be  nu)8t  desirable  that  every  experiment  should 
be  tried  to  discover  a  remedy  for  this  pest ;  but,  in  ordinary 
instances,  he  is  not  faithful  to  his  own  interest,  or  that  of 
his  neighbors,  who  does  not  remove  the  possibility  of  dan-^ 
ger  in  the  most  summary  way. 


BI^feit^ES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  llf 

"If,  however,  remedial  measures  are  resorted  to,  a  pure 
atmosphere  is  that  which  should  first  be  tried.  Glanders  is 
the  peculiar  disease  of  the  stabled  horse,  and  the  preparation 
for,  or  the  foundatian  of  a  cure,  must  consist  in  the  perfect 
removal  of  every  existing  cause  of  the  malady.  The  horse 
must  breathe  a  cool  and  pure  atmosphere,  and  he  must  be 
turned  out,  or  placed  in  a  situation  equivalent  to  it. 

"A  salt  marsh  is,  above  all  others,  the  situation  for  this 
experiment,  but  there  is  much  caution  required.  No  sound 
horse  must  be  in  the  same  pasture,  or  a  neighboring  one: 
the  palings  or  the  gates  may  receive  a  portion  of  the  mat- 
ter, which  may  harden  upon  them,  and,  many  months  after- 
ward, be  a  source  of  mischief;  nay,  the  virus  may  cling 
about  the  herbage,  and  empoison  it.  Cattle  ^nd  sheep 
should  not  be  trusted  with  a  glandered  horse,  for. the  ex- 
periments are  not  sufficiently  numerous  or  decided  as  to  the 
exemption  of  these  animals  from  the  contagion  of  glanders. 

"  Supposing  that  glanders  have  made  their  appearance  in 
the  stables  of  a  farmer,  is  there  any  danger  after  he  has  re- 
moved or  destroyed  the  infected  horse?  Certainly  there  is; 
bj^t  not  to  the  extent  that  is  commonly  supposed.  There  is 
no  necessity  for  pulling  down  the  racks  and  mangers,  or  even 
the  stable  itself,  as  some  have  done.  The  poison  resides^  not 
in  the  breath  of  the  animal,  but  in  the  nasal  discharge,  and 
that  can  only  reach  certain  parts  of  the  stable.  If  the  man- 
gers, and  racks,  and  bales,  and  partitions  are  first  well 
scraped,  and  scoured  with  soap  and  water,  and  then  thor- 
oughl}'-  washed  with  a  solution  of  the  chloride  of  lime,  (one 
pint  of  the  chloride  to  a  pailful  of  water,)  and  the  walls  are 
lime-washed,  and  the  headgear  burned,  and  the  clothing 
baked  or  washed,  and  the  pails  newly  painted,  and  the  iron- 
work exposed  to  a  red  heat,  all  danger  will  cease. 

"  Little  that  is  satisfactory  can  be  said  of  the  prevention 
of  glanders.  The  first  and  most  efiTectual  mode  of  prevention 
will  be  to  keep  the  stables  cool  and  well  ventilated,  for  the 
hot  and  poisoned  air  of  low  and  confined  stables  is  one  of 
the  most  prevalent  causes  of  glanders.  ' 


M8  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

"Next  to  ventilation  stands  cleanliness;  for  the  foul  air 
from  the  fermenting  litter,  urine  and  dung,  must  not  only 
be  highly  injurious  to  health  generally,  but  irritate  and  pre- 
dispose to  inflammation  that  delicate  membrane  which  is  the 
primary  seat  of  the  disease.  If  to  this  be  added  regular  ex- 
ercise, and  occasionally  green  meat  during  the  summer,  and 
carrots  in  the  winter,  we  shall  have  stated  all  that  can  be 
done  in  the  way  of  prevention. 

''^Glanders  in  the  human  being. — It  can  not  be  too  often  re- 
peated that  a  glandered  horse  can  rarely  remain  among 
sound  ones  without  serious  mischief  ensuing ;  and,  more  than 
all,  the  man  who  attends  on  that  horse  is  in  danger.  The 
cases  are  now  becoming  far  too  numerous  ih  which  the 
groom,  or  veterinary  surgeon  attending  on  a  glandered 
horse,  becomes  infected,  and,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  dies. 
It  is,  however,  more  manageable  in  the  human  being  than 
in  the  quadruped.  Some  cases  of  recovery  from  farcy  and 
glanders  stand  on  record  with  regard  to  the  human  being, 
but  they  are  few  and  far  between." 

While  we  give  to  his  descriptions  high  praise  for  their 
general  accuracy  and  clearness,  we  are  not  so  despairing  as 
this  distinguished  author  seems  to  be.  We  do  not  propose 
to  leave  the  unfortunate  owner  with  the  glandered  horse 
upon  his  hands,  and  with  such  poor  comfort  as  the  unquali- 
fied statement  that  glanders  is  incurable.  Nor  can  we  sub- 
scribe to  the  sentiment  "  that  the  entire  list  of  drugs  have 
been  tried,  and  have  proved  entirely  ineffectual,"  or  that 
"little  that  is  satisfactory  can  be  said  of  a  preventive  of 
glanders."  The  Englishman  possesses  the  knowledge,  but 
the  Yankee  goes  further,  and  applies  it.  The  Englishman 
has  the  science,  the  Yankee  the  invention. 

In  this  case,  as  in  regard  to  most  other  diseases  described 
in  this  work,  our  remedies  and  treatment  are  exclusively. 
our  own.  We  believe  that  we  have  discovered  a  sure  anti- 
dote to  glanders,  remarkably  simple,  and  easily  procured, 
unknown  to  the  practitioners  of  the  Old  World,  highly 
educated  and  scientific  as  they  undoubtedly  are.    As  a  pre- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  149 

ventive,  it  is  a  specific.  It  is  also  a  certain  cure  in  the  first 
stage,  and,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  equally  eftective  in  the 
second.  Perhaps  we  might  even  affirm  that  it  has  been 
known  to  save  horses  already  passed  into  the  third  stage, 
but,  knowing  how  difficult  it  generally  is  to  draw  the  line 
of  demarcation  between  this  and  the  preceding  stage,  we 
hesitate  to  claim  more  than  assured  facts  will  warrant. 

This  antidote  and  highly  valuable  remedial  agent  is  simply 
tobacco.  At  those  periods  of  the  disease  which  we  have 
named,  this  hitherto  useless  and  noxious  weed  possesses  the 
wonderful  power  of  neutralizing  the  virus  in  the  blood,  and 
of  counteracting  its  contagious  influences;  to  dry  up  the 
nasal  discharges;  and,  finally,  not  only  to  abate  the  disease, 
but  to  remove  its  evil  effects  from  the  system  entirely. 

TREATMENT. 

Bleed  in  the  neck  vein,  removing  about  three  quarts  of 
blood.  Have  ready  a  strong  decoction  of  tobacco,  of  which 
put  one-fourth  of  a  pint  in  a  pint  of  warm  water,  and  turn 
this  down  the  horse.  It  will  make  him  very  sick,  but  it 
will  aflect  him  much  less  than  when  in  health,  and  thus 
used,  is  not  really  dangerous.  Wash  out  his  nostrils  with 
the  tobacco  decoction,  weakened  with  water,  as  directed  in 
the  last  section  for  staggers.  Be  at  pains  to  reach  as  high 
up  the  nostril  with  the  mop  as  you  can.  The  mixture  must 
be  as  hot  as  the  horse  can  bear  it. 

Continue  this  treatment  from  two  to  four  weeks,  or  until 
a  favorable  change  is  apparent.  Use  the  mop  in  the  nose 
for  eight  or  ten  days;  drench  with  the  tobacco  mixture 
every  third  day  for  the  time  above  mentioned;  give  the 
horse  as  much  sulphur  and  resin  as  you  can  get  him  to  eat 
for  the  space  of  t6n  days.  A  full  dose  will  be  four  ounces 
of  sulphur  and  two  of  resin,  both  pulverized.  Let  the  food 
be  light  and  relaxing.  Grass  is  the  preferable  diet,  if  it  is 
in  season.  If  the  horse  is  turned  out  to  pasture,  be  sure  that 
no  other  stock  is  allowed  access  to  it.  Use  every  precaution 
to  prevent  direct  infection  from  the  nasal-  discharges.    Stable 


160  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

the  animal  at  night,  and,  in  cold  or  wet  weather,  keep  him 
where  it  is  dry  and  moderately  warm. 

Attend  promptly  to  disinfecting  your  stable.  Fumigate 
it  with  tobacco-smoke  while  the  horse  is  in  it.  Make 
him  and  all  his  companions  inhale  as  much  of  the  smoke  as 
yon  can.  Fill  the  stable  with  the  smoke  until  you  can  no 
longer  remain  in  it  yourself.  "Wash  every  part  of  it,  and 
especially  the  mangers,  with  a  strong  decoction  of  tobacco, 
and  keep  pounded  tobacco-leaves  in  every  feeding-place  used 
by  any  horse  that  has  been  exposed  to  the  disease.  As  soon 
as  you  commence  this  course,  there  is  little  danger  of  the 
contagion  spreading  further. 

It  may  be  necessary,  in  some  cases,  to  continue  this  treat- 
ment longer  than  the  time  specified  above.  But  if  these 
directions  are  faithfully  and  perseveringly  carried  out,  there 
are  few  cases  of  glanders  which  may  not  be  successfully 
treated,  up  to  the  period  in  which  the  disease  is  passing  into 
the  third  stage. 

It  will  be  an  excellent  precautionary  measure  to  fumigate 
the  stable  occasionally,  if  there  is  any  reason  to  suspect  that 
its  inmates  have  been  exposed  to  this  or  any  other  infectious 
disease.  The  tobacco  will  prove  a  preventive  for  all  alike. 
Other  respectable  authorities,  besides  Youatt,  in  the  extract 
we  have  given,  affirm  that  there  is  danger  of  infection  being 
communicated  to  the  attendant  upon  a  glandered  horse.  This 
may  be  the  case  where  there  is  no  preventive.  But  the 
attendant,  in  a  stable  frequently  fumigated  with  tobacco- 
smoke,  and  with  a  pipe  or  good  cigar  in  his  mouth,  need 
have  no  fears. 

We  can  not  dismiss  this  subject  without  a  few  plain  words 
tct  every  owner  of  a  horse. 

It  is  a  stigma  upon  the  .humanity  and  intelligence  of  any 
man  to  keep  his  noble  and  faithful  servant,  the  horse,  in  a 
low,  damp,  or  muddy  stable,  in  the  midst  of  foul  air,  with  a 
great  pile  of  manure  heating  and  steaming  beneath  him ;  and 
not  only  without  ventilation,  but  oftentimes  deprived  of  light 
also,  which  is  really  almost  as  essential  to  the  health  and 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  151 

comfort  of  either  man  or  beast  as  are  food  and  air.  In  the 
close,  fetid  atmosphere  of  such  a  place,  neither  horse  nor 
human  can  long  remain  without  succumbing  to  disease. 

If  any  of  these  nuisances  exist  in  your  stable,  in  the  name 
of  every  consideration  of  mercy,  gratitude,  and  self-interest, 
give  your  faithful  friend  a  better  home.  Let  him  have  a 
clean,  dry  house  to  live  in,  with  plenty  of  air  and  light.  K 
the  qld  stable  can  not  be  remedied  in  all  these  respects,  tear 
it  down,  and  build  a  new  and  better  one.  Depend  upon  it, 
you  will  consult  your  own  interests  by  so  doing ;  and  thus, 
too,  you  may  prove  that  you  are  tit  to  own  a  horse. 

Of  course,  these  suggestions  must  be  acted  upon  in  treat- 
ing all  established  cases  of  glanders,  or  it  is  mere  presump- 
tion to  expect  a  cure.  To  use  any  remedies  und^r  the  most 
unfavorable  circumstances  possible,  and  then,  because  they 
fail,  to  sweepingly  condemn  the  whole  treatment,  is  neither 
Justice  nor  common  sense. 

A   REMARKABLE   CASE. 

Having  occasion  to  pass  through  Giles  County,  Tennessee, 
some  time  during  the  year  1856,  the  author  happened  to  stop 
at  the  store,  which  was  also  the  post-office,  of  the  little  vil- 
lage of  Bethel.  Here  he  heard  a  gentleman  present  remark 
to  his  neighbor  that  he  was  almost  ruined ;  it  seemed  as 
though  his  horses  and  mules  would  all  die,  as  he  understood 
that  the  disease  which  had  got  among  them  was  absolutely 
incurable.  Inquiry  elicited  the  following  facts.  The  gentle- 
man was  a  farmer  and  large  stock-raiSer  in  the  vicinity, 
having  at  that  time  about  forty  head  of  horses  and  mules, 
most  of  them  young,  which  he  had  been  getting  ready  for 
market.  He  had  had  the  great  misfortune  to  become  the 
owner  of  a  glandered  horse.  The  infection  had  spread  among 
the  young  colts,  and  a  number  of  them  were  already  dis- 
eased. 

This  was,  indeed,  a  most  alarming  state  of  affairs,  involving 
a  pecuniary  interest  of  several  thousands  of  dollars.  It  was 
a  case,  if  one  ever  occurred,  in  which  to  test  the  efficacy  of 


152  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

our  remedy  for  glanders.  The  opportunity  was  improved. 
The  writer  gave  the  gentleman  the  whole  plan  of  treatment, 
and  received  from  him  the  promise  that  it  should  be  faith- 
fully carried  out.  With  this,  he  parted  from  Esquire  Joseph 
Edmonston,  and  went  on  his  way. 

About  a  year  later,  business  called  us  into  that  neighbor- 
hood again.  Learning  from  the  citizens  the  remarkable  suc- 
cess which  had  followed  the  prescribed  treatment,  the  author 
was  drawn,  by  interest  and  sympathy,  to  the  residence  of 
Esquire  Edmonston,  and  there  learned  from  his  own  lips  the 
truth  of  the  statements  already  made.  He  informed  us  that, 
when  he  had  used  the  remedy  twice,  the  infection  ceased. 
He  had  cured  ten  cases,  and  prevented  the  remainder  of  his 
stock  from  taking  the  disease.  His  stables  had  not  been 
given  over  to  the  flames,  not  one  of  his  horses  had  been 
killed,  and  he  believed  that  the  treatment,  if  pursued  with 
energy,  and  accompanied  with  due  attention  to  the  surround- 
ings and  general  condition  of  the  patient,  would  effect  a  cure 
in  the  large  majority  of  cases.  By  an  outlay  of  not  more 
than  twenty-five  dollars,  he  had  saved  stock  valued  at  nearly 
^Ye  thousand. 

FARCY. 

Like  its  accompaniment,  glanders,  this  disease  is  much 
more  common  on  the  old  continent  than  it  is  on  ours.  Com- 
paratively few  American  farmers  have  ever  seen  the  farcy  of 
the  English  and  French  stables.  Opportunities  to  observe  it, 
therefore,  have  not  been  very  frequent  in  the  United  States, 
and  our  veterinarians  are  less  familiar  with  it  than  their  co- 
adjutors across  the  ocean.  Yet  it  is  not  an  entire  stranger 
in  this  country.  Occasionally  it  makes  its  appearance  in 
certain  localities,  and  is  generally,  if  not  always,  the  closing 
chapter  in  the  history  of  a  case  of  glanders. 

In  our  opinion,  farcy  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  general  gland- 
ered  condition  of  the  horse.  The  poisonous  virus  of  glanders 
is  diffused  by  the  blood  through  his  entire  system,  and  finally 
breaks  out  upon  the  surface  of  the  skin  in  putrid  ulcers, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  16& 


\ 


which  presently  burst,  and  discharge  a  yellow,  watery  fluid. 
After  this  discharge  has  been  going  on  for  some  time,  it 
undergoes  a  material  change.  The  exudations  become  more 
mattery,  purulent,  and  offensive,  and  are  mixed  with  blood. 
These  ulcerous  pustules  most  frequently  break  out  upon  the 
legs,  neck,  and  shoulders,  which  are  often  almost  entirely 
covered  with  them.  At  first,  they  are  sometimes  confined  to 
the  legs,  and,  occasionally,  to  but  one  of  them.  They  swell, 
and  give  forth  ofiensive  discharges ;  the  disease  spreads,  until 
the  whole  body  often  becomes  a  putrid  and  loathsome  mass ; 
and,  finally,  the  sufferer  dies. 

Farcy  is  extremely  contagious  in  all  its.  stages,  as  its  con- 
nection with  glanders  would  lead  us  to  expect.  It  is  usually 
one  of  the  fearful  fruits  of  criminal  neglect  or  mismanage- 
ment, by  which  the  horse  is  allowed  to  rot  down  in  damp, 
moldy  stables,  or  amid  accumulations  of  filth  and  dirt.  The 
generation  of  this  disease,  more,  perhaps,  than  that  of  glanders, 
speaks  volumes  in  dispraise  of  some  one. 

We  quote  Youatt's  account  of  farcy,  which,  although  not 
precisely  in  harmony  with  every  detail  of  our  own  observa- 
tions, seems  to  us  to  be  correct,  in  the  main : 

"  Farcy  is  intimately  connected  with  glanders.  They  will 
run  into  each  other,  or  their  symptoms  will  mingle  together, 
and  before  either  arrives  at  its  fatal  termination,  its  associate 
will  almost  invariably  appear.  An  animal  inoculated  with 
the  matter  of  farcy  will  often  be  afflicted  with  glanders,  while 
the  matter  of  glanders  will  frequently  produce  farcy.  They 
are  difierent  types,  or  stages,  of  the  same  disease.  There  is, 
however,  a  very  material  difference  in  their  symptoms  and 
progress,  and  this  most  important  one  of  all,  that  while' 
glanders  are  generally  incurable,  farcy,  in  its  early  stage  and 
mild  form,  may  be  successfully  treated. 

"  While  the  capillary  vessels  of  the  arteries  are  every- where 
employed  in  building  up  the  frame,  the  absorbents  are  no  less 
diligently  at  work  in  selecting  and  carrying  away  every  useless 
or  worn-out  portion  or  part  of  it.  There  is  no  surface,  there 
is  no   assignable   spot  on  which   thousands  of  these  little 


IM  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

mouths  do  not  open.  In  tlie  discharge  of  their  duty,  they 
not  only  remove  that  which  has  become  useless,  and  often 
that  which  is  healthy,  but  that  which  is  poisonous  and  de- 
structive. They  open  upon  the  surface  of  every  glanderous 
chancer.  They  absorb  a  portion  of  the  virus,  which  is  se- 
creted by  the  ulcer,  and,  as  it  passes  along  these  little  tubes, 
they  suffer  from  its  acrimonious  quality;  hence  the  corded 
veins,  as  they  are  called  by  the  farrier,  or,  more  properly, 
the  thickened  and  inflamed  absorbents  following  the  course 
of  the  veins. 

"At  certain  distances  in  the  course  of  the  absorbents  are 
loose  duplicatures  of  -the  lining  membrane,  which  are  pressed 
against  the  side  of  the  vessel,  and  permit  the  fluid  to  pass  in 
a  direction  toward  the  chest,  but  belly  out  and  impede,  or 
arrest,  its  progress  from  the  chest.  The  veins  at  these  places, 
and  the  additional  inflammation  there  excited,  is,  to  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  evident  to  the  eye  and  to  the  feeling.  They 
are  usually  first  observed  about  the  lips,  the  nose,  the  neck, 
and  .the  thighs.  They  are  very  hard, — even  of  scirrhous 
hardness,  more  or  less  tender,  and  with  perceptible  heat  about 
them. 

"  The  poisonous  matter  being  thus  confined  and  pressing  on 
the  parts,  suppuration  and  ulceration  ensue.  The  ulcers 
have  the  same  character  as  the  glanderous  ones  on  the 
membrane  of  the  nose.  They  are  rounded,  with  an  elevated. 
edge  and  a  pale  surface.  They  are  true  chancers,  and  dis- 
charge a  virus  as  infectious  and  dangerous  as  the  matter  of 
glanders.  While  they  remain  in  their  hard  prominent  state, 
they  are  called  buttons  or  farcy-buds,  and  they  are  connected 
'together  by  the  inflamed  and  corded  veins. 

"  In  some  cases  the  horse  will  droop  for^many  a  day  before 
the  appearance  of  the  corded  veins  or  buds.  His  appetite 
will  be  impaired ;  his  coat  will  stare  ;  he  will  lose  flesh.  The 
poison  is  evidently  at  work,  but  has  not  gained  sufficient 
power  to  cause  the  absorbents  to  enlarge.  In  a  few  cases 
these  buds  do  not  ulcerate,  but  become  hard  and  difficult  to 
disperse.     The  progress  of  the  disease  is  then  suspended, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  155 

and  possibly,  for  some  months,  the  horse  will  appear  to  be 
restored  to  health ;  but  he  bears  the  seed  of  the  malady 
about  him,  and  in  due  time  the  farcy  assumes  its  virulent 
form,  and  hurries  him  off.  These  buds  have  sometimes  been 
confounded  with  the  little  tumors,  or  lumps,  termed  surfeit 
They  are  generally  higher  than  these  tumors,  and  not  so 
broad.  They  have  a  more  knotty  character,  and  are  prin- 
cipally found  on  the  inside  of  the  limb,  instead  of  the  out- 
side. 

"  Few  things  are  more  unlike  or  more  perplexing  than  the 
different  forms  which  farcy  assumes  at  times.  One  of  the 
legs,  and  particularly  one  of  the  hinder  legs,  will  suddenly 
swell  to  an  enormous  size.  At  night  the  horse  will  appear 
to  be  perfectly  well,  and  in  the  morning  one  leg  will  be 
three  times  the  size  of  the  other,  with  considerable  fever, 
and  scarcely  the  power  of  moving  the  limb. 

"At  other  times  the  head  will  be  subject  to  this  enlarge- 
ment; the  muzzle,  particularly,  will  swell,  and  an  offensive 
discharge  will  proceed  from  the  nose.  Sometimes  the  horse 
will  gradually  lose  flesh  and  strength ;  he  will  be  hide-bound ; 
many  eruptions  will  appear  in  different  parts;  the  legs  will 
swell ;  cracks  will  be  seen  at  the  heels,  and  an  inexperienced 
person  may  conceive  it  to  be  a  mere  want  of  condition,  com- 
bined with  grease. 

"By  degrees  the  affection  becomes  general.  The  virus  has 
reached  the  termination  of  the  absorbents,  and  mingles  with 
the  general  circulating  fluid,  and  is  conveyed  with  the  blood 
to  every  part  of  the  frame.  There  are  no  longer  any  valves 
to  impede  its  progress,  and,  consequently,  no  knots  or  buds ; 
but  the  myriads  of  capillary  absorbents  that  penetrate  every, 
part  become  inflamed,  thickened,  and  enlarged,  and  cease  to 
discharge  their  function.  Hence  arises  enlargement  of  the 
substance  of  various  parts — swelling  of  the  legs,  chest,  and 
head — sudden,  painful,  enormous,  and  distinguished  by  a  heat 
and  tenderness  which  do  not  accompany  other  enlargements. 

"It  is  a  question  somewhat  difficult  to  answer,  whether 
farcy  can  exist  without  previous  glanders.     Probably  it  can 


156  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

not.  There  is  the  long-continued,  insidious  progress  of  glan- 
ders— the  time  which  may  elapse,  and  often  does,  before  the 
owner  is  aware,  or  the  veterinary  surgeon  sure  of  it — the 
possibility  that  minute  ulceration  may  have,  for  a  long 
while,  existed  in  some  of  the  recesses  of  the  nose,  or  that 
the  slight  discharge,  undreaded  and  unrecognized,  yet  vitia- 
ted, poisoned,  and  capable  of  communicating  the  disease, 
may  have  been  long  traveling  through  the  frame,  affecting 
the  absorbents,  and  preparing  for  the  sudden  display  of 
farcy. 

"One  thing,  however,  is  undeniable,  that  farcy  does  not 
long  and  extensively  prevail  without  being  accompanied  by 
glanders;  that  even  in  the  mild  stages  of  farcy,  glanders 
may  be  seen,  if  looked  for,  and  that  it  never  destroys  the 
animal  without  plainly  associating  itself  with  glanders. 
They  are,  in  fact,  stages  of  the  same  disease. 

"  Glanders  is  inflammation  of  the  membrane  of  the  nose, 
producing  an  altered  and  poisonous  secretion,  and  when  suflS.- 
cient  of  this  vitiated  secretion  has  been  taken  up  to  produce 
inflammation  and  ulceration  of  the  absorbents,  farcy  is  es- 
tablished. Its  progress  is  occasionally  very  capricious,  con- 
tinuing"/ in  a  few  cases,  for  months  and  years,  the  vigor  of 
the  horse  remaining  unimpaired;  and,  at  other  times,  run- 
ning on  to  its  fatal  termination,  with  a  rapidity  perfectly 
astonishing. 

"  Farcy  has  been  confounded  with  other  diseases ;  but  he 
must  be  careless  or  ignorant  who  mistook  sprain  for  it.  The 
inflammation  is  too  circumscribed  and  too  plainly  connected 
with  the  joint  or  the  tendon. 

"  It  may  be  readily  distinguished  from  grease  or  swelled 
legs.  In  grease  there  is  usually  some  crack  or  scurfiness,  a 
peculiar  tenseness  and  redness  and  glossiness  of  the  skin, 
some  ichorous  discharge,  and  a  singular  spasmodic  catching 
up  of  the  leg.  In  farcy  the  engorgement  is  even  more  sud- 
den than  that  of  grease.  The  horse  is  well  to-day,  and  to- 
morrow he  is  gorged  from  the  fetlock  to  the  haunch,  and 
although  there  is  not  the  same  redness  or  glossiness,  there 


I 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  157 

is  great  tenderness,  a  burning  heat  in  the  limb  and  much 
general  fever.  It  is  simultaneous  inflammation  of  all  the 
absorbents  of  the  limb. 

"  Surfeit  can  scarcely  be  confounded  with  farcy  or  glanders. 
It  is  a  pustular  eruption — surfeit  humps,  as  they  are  called — 
and  terminating  in  desquamation,  not  in  ulceration,  although 
numerous,  yet  irregularly  placed  and  never  following  the 
course  of  the  absorbents,  but  scattered  over  the  skin. 

"  Local  dropsy  of  the  cellular  membrane,  and  particularly 
that  enlargement  beneath  the  thorax,  which  has  the  strange 
appellation  of  water-farcy,  have  none  of  the  characters  of 
real  farcy.  It  is  general  debility,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree, 
and  not  inflammation  of  the  absorbents.  If  properly  treated, 
it  soon  disappears,  except  that  occasionally,  at  the  close  of 
some  serious  disease,  it  indicates  a  breaking  up  of  the  con- 
stitution. 

"  Farcy,  like  glanders,  springs  from  infection  and  from  bad 
stable  management.  It  is  produced  by  all  the  causes  which 
give  rise  to  glanders,  with  this  difference,  that  it  is  more  fre- 
quently generated,  and  sometimes  strangely  prevalent  in  par- 
ticular districts.  It  will  attack,  at  the  same  time,  several 
horses  in  the  same  ill-conducted  stable,  and  others  in  the 
neighborhood,  who  have  been  exposed  to  the  same  predis- 
posing causes.  Some  have  denied  that  it  is  a  contagious  dis- 
ease. They  must  have  had  little  experience.  It  is  true  that 
the  matter  of  farcy  must  come  in  contact  with  a  wound  or 
sore,  in  order  to  communicate  the  disease ;  but,  accustomed 
as  horses  are  to  nibble  and  play  with  each  other,  and  sore 
as  the  corners  of  the  mouth  are  frequently  rendered  by  the 
bit,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that  this  may  be  easily  effected  ; 
and  experience  tells  us  that  a  horse  having  farcy  ulcers 
can  not  be  8uff*ered  to  remain  with  others  without  extreme 
risk." 

There  is  another  eruptive  disorder  to  which  the  horse  is 
subject,  that,  in  this  country,  is  often  called  farcy,  but  which, 
in  reality,  is  nothing  more  than  the  eflfect  of  over-heating, 
at  a  time  when  the  blood  is  out  of  order.     After  a  day  of 


158  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

severe  exercise,  little  knots  appear  on  the  neck,  shoulders, 
and  side,  with  a  little  scabby  excresence  on  the  top  of  each. 
They  last  but  a  few  days,  and  then  go  away  of  themselves. 
"No  danger  whatever  attends  them,  and  they  merely  evidence 
some  degree  of  impurity  of  the  blood,  which  proper  physick- 
ing will  readily  correct.  This  is  really  only  a  species  of 
quick  surfeit ;  yet  the  masses,  in  many  parts  of  this  country, 
attach  no  other  meaning  to  the  term  farcy  than  this  feeble 
and  entirely  erroneous  application. 


TREATMENT. 

As  farcy  is  simply  a  constitutional  development  of  glan- 
ders, or,  at  least,  a  disease  of  precisely  the  same  type,  its 
treatment  must  be  the  same  as  that  prescribed -in  the  last 
section  for  glanders.  Perhaps  the  principal  reason  why  its 
treatment  in  England  has  been  attended  with  better  "suc- 
cess than  that  of  the  other  malady  is,  that  remedial  agents 
have  been  more  directly  and  extensively  applied  in  the  one 
case  than  in  the  other.  But  the  tobacco  treatment,  espe- 
cially as  concerns  the  swabbing  out  the  nostrils,  brings  the 
remedy  in  equally  close  contact  with  the  parts  affected,  in 
both  eases. 

Our  experience  does  not  confirm  Youatt's  statement,  that 
farcy  is  more  readily  cured  than  its  precursor  and  companion, 
glanders. 

For  the  treatment  of  the  little  eruptions  known  as  farcy 
by  many  American  farmers,  see  section  on  Surfeit,  in  Chap- 
ter YIII. 


DISTEMPER. 

Many  of  the  symptoms  of  this  disease  seem  to  identify  it 
with  the  "  strangles  "  of  the  old  farriers,  a  name  which,  un- 
doubtedly, took  its  rise  from  the  circumstance  that  the  horse 
is  liable  to  be  choked  while  eating,  from  his  frequent  attacks 
of  coughing.  English  writers  describe  "  strangles  "  under  its 
old  name  to  this  day ;  but  in  this  coui^try  the  term  is  almost 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.   '  159 

unknown,  and  farmers  and  horsemen  generally  speak  of  the 
much  too  familiar  "distemper,"  only. 

Yet  there  are  some  features  characteristic  of  distemper 
which  do  not  correspond  with  the  description  of  strangles, 
as  we  find  it  given  by  foreign  writers.  Youatt  says  that  the^ 
latter  disease  is  "principally  incident  to  young  horses,  usually 
appearing  between  the  fourth  and*  fifth  year."  Distemper, 
however,  is  found  to  attack  animals  of  all  ages  and  condi- 
tions, though  it  is  quite  true  that  the  young  are  the  ones 
most  subject  to  it.  But  the  chief  point  of  dissimilarity  ap- 
pears in  this,  that  while  no  author  makes  any  mention  of 
strangles  being  a  contagious  disease,  distemper  partakes  of 
that  character  in  the  highest  degree. 

There  are  three  distinct  stages  of  this  disease.  The  first 
is  marked  by  a  dry,  hacking  cough,  attended  by  a  running 
at  the  nose.  The  discharge,  at  first  thin  and  watery,  soon 
becomes  thick  and  purulent,  and  is  always  of  a  whitish 
color.  This  color,  and  also  the  cough,  will  be  indications  to 
which  the  keeper  will  give  the  utmost  heed,  as  showing  that 
the  disease  i^not  glanders.  But  if  these  symptoms  are  not 
sufiaciently  clear,  others  will  soon  follow  which  can  not  be 
mistaken. 

The  second  stage  comes  on  rapidly.  The  horse  begins  to 
swell  under  the  throat,  and  examination  reveals  that  it  is 
the  topsils  and  salivary  glands  which  are  affected.  They 
have  been  inflamed  from  the  beginning ;  the  glands  are  now 
closed,  and  matter  is  forming  in  them.  [NTature  is  striving 
diligently  to  throw  off*  the  disease  in  this  way.  An  abscess 
next  establishes  itself  in  the  throat,  and  in  this  are  collected 
all  the  mattery  secretions  of  the  glands. 

The  abscess  continues  to  enlarge  until  presently  it  breaks, 
and  the  matter  is  discharged.  This  constitutes  the  third 
Btage.  Matter  may  run  for  weeks,  or  perhaps  months,  but 
from  this  time  the  horse  generally  begins  to  amend. 

During  the  whole  progress  of  the  disease  there  is  high 
fever,  and  the  pulse  is  excited  and  hard.  The  appetite  fails, 
and  the  horse  gradually  loses  flesh,  until,  at  last,  he  is  re- 


# 


\ 


160  AMEKICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

duced  to  a  mere  skeleton.  As  the  disease  advances,  all  these 
symptoms  are  aggravated.  The  fever  increases,  the  pulse 
grows  harder  and  more  rapid,  the  eyes  look  dull  and  glassy, 
the  hair  stands  out,  and  has  a  dry,  dead  appearance,  and  the 
head  droops  nearly  all  the  time.  The  horse  either  refuses  to 
eat,  or  does  so  with  great  difficulty;  he  becomes  exceed- 
ingly stupid,  and  seems  utterly  woe-begone ;  his  whole  con- 
dition is  wretched  indeed.  If  an  abscess  does  not  form,  he 
is  almost  sure  to  die;  and  even  when  one  is  developed,  it  is 
often  of  so  fearful  a  character  as  itself  to  be  the  cause  of 
death.  Occasionally,  dreadful  abscesses  have  been  known 
to  gather  on  the  belly,  near  the  sheath,  from  the  effects  of 
distemper. 

We  have  already  said  that  this  disease  is  very  contagious. 
Horses  will  take  it  from  each  other  at  considerable  distances 
apart.  In  glanders,  infection  proceeds  from  the  nasal  dis- 
charges; but  in  distemper  it  is  communicated  by  the  fe- 
verish breath,  and  much  further  than  in  the  case  of  the 
former.  When  distemper  breaks  out  among  a  body  of  horses 
or  mules,  all  are  likely  to  have  it,  except  thoie  who  have 
passed  through  it  before ;  for,  like  small-pox  in  the  human 
being,  it  never  attacks  a  horse  the  second  time.  Colts 
and  young  animals,  who  are  especially  subject  to  it,  will 
take  it  from  older  ones,  but  seldom  communicate  it  to  them. 
Yet  it  will  be  folly  to  calculate  upon  any  exemptions  when 
it  breaks  out  in  a  stable  none  of  whose  inmates  have  ever 
had  it.  • 

Like  glanders  and  farcy,  distemper  is  most  frequently  gen- 
erated by  filth  and  bad  keeping.  It  is  undoubtedly  epidemic 
in  character,  however ;  but,  like  cholera,  it  is  always  most  at 
home  in  those  localities  where  filth  and  miasma  are  most 
abundant.  Cleanliness  may  be  set  down  as  essential  to  a 
cure. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment,  in  its  general  features,  resembles  that  for 
glanders.    Bleed  in  the  neck  vein,  taking  about  three  pints 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDa  161 

of  blood ;  then  take  and  thoroughly  mix  together  one  table- 
spoonful  of  gunpowder,  one  of  lard,  one  of  soft-soap,  two 
of  tar,  and  one  of  pulverized  gum  myrrh ;  put  a  spoonful 
of  this  down  the  horse's  throat,  as  far  as  you  can,  with  a 
paddle  or  spoon.  Do  this  twice  a  day.  The  object  is  not  so 
much  to  have  him  swallow  it,  as  it  is  to  have  it  lodge  about 
the  glands  of  the  throat.  It  will  have  the  effect  to  stimu- 
late their  natural  discharge  into  the  mouth,  and  then  will 
keep  them  open.  At  the  same  time,  make  a  strong  decoc- 
tion of  tobacco,  as  hot  as  the  horse  can  bear  it,  with  which 
wash  his  neck  and  throat.  Repeat  this  two  or  three  times  a 
a  day.  If  an  abscess  is  actually  gathering,  but  is  not  too  far 
advanced,  this  treatment  will  be  likely  to  drive  it  away.  If 
the  disease  is  in  its  early  stage,  the  patient  will  get  well  in 
a  few  days. 

In  connection  with  the  above,  give  the  horse  as  miich  sul- 
phur and  resin  as  he  can  be  induced  to  eat — a  quarter  of  a 
pound,  at  least,  each  day.  The  proportions  will  be  two  parts 
of  sulphur  to  one  part  of  resin.  The  food  should  beilight,  such 
as  mashes,  boiled  oats,  and  cut  feed ;  or,  if  it  is  in  season, 
grass  will  be  still  better.  Do  not  give  any  corn  until  after 
complete  recovery.  On  no  account  should  the  horse  be 
worked  while  in  this  suffering  condition. 

Fumigate  your  stable  well,  and  use  the  tobacco  in  other 
ways,  as  directed  under  the  head  of  glanders.  It  is  a  disin- 
fectant of  distemper,  and,  if  properly  used,  will  prevent  the 
rest  of  your  stock  from  taking  the  disease. 

The  author  has  treated  hundreds  of  cases  of  distemper, 
and  with  perfect  success,  almost  without  exception.  In  three 
cases  out  of  five,  the  disease  was  entirel}^  broken  before  the 
formation  of  an  abscess.  One  case  may  be  given,  by  way 
of  illustration : 

Dr.  H.  Hardison,  of  Marshall  County,  Tennessee,  had  lost 
ten  young  mules  and  colts  with  distemper,  and  still  had  more 
than  thirty  in  a  very  bad  way  from  the  same  cause.  By  the 
use  of  the  treatment  here  laid  down,  these  were  all  cured. 
He  informed  the  writer  that  he  considered  himself  indebted 
11 


162  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

to  tliis  course  for  the  value  of,  at  least,  thirty  young 
mules. 

RECAPITULATION   OF   TREATMENT.      . 

let.  Bleed  freely  in  the  neck  vein. 

2d.  Give  the  distemper  mixture  according  to  prescription. 

3d.  Wash  the  neck  and  throat  with  the  hot  decoction  of 
tobacco. 

4th.  Fumigate,  and  use  the  other  means  for  disinfecting 
by  tobacco. 

NASAL    GLEET.        * 

Accompanying  distemper,  there  is  always  a  thick  and 
more  or  less  purulent  discharge  from  the  nose,  continuing, 
very  often,  after  all  the  other  symptoms  have  abated.  It  is 
sometimes  kept  up  for  a  long  time,  and  becomes  disagreea- 
ble in  the  extreme.  The  thick  mattery  exudations  from  the 
nose  are  blown  out,  in  great  flakes  and  plugs,  many  times  a 
day,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  all  that  go  near.  Such  a 
•  horse  is  a 'downright  nuisance.  He  is  constantly  snorting 
to  free  his  nose  of  the  offensive  matter,  and,  when  least 
suspecting  it,  one  may  suddenly  find  himself  perfectl}-  bespat- 
'  tered  with  it.  In  his  stall,  every  thing  about  him  is  be- 
daubed— the  bridle,  the  halter,  the  manger — none  of  which 
can  be  touched  without  danger  of  having  the  hands  covered 
with  the  filth. 

This  disease  has  received  the  name  of  gleet.     It  is  *really 
a  species  of  chronic  distemper,  without  the  fever  character- 
izing its  acute  forms.     Sometimes  it  becomes  a  most  formi- 
dable disease.     The  discharge  is  often  mixed  with  blood, 
•  and  is  apt  to  partake  of  the  color  of  the  food — green,  if  the 

horse  is  feeding  on  grass ;  yellow,  if  on  corn ;  white,  if  on  cut 
feed  or  oats.  This  is  doubtless  caused  by  the  relaxing  and 
enlargement  of  the  ducts  which  form  the  communication 
between  the  month  and  nasal  cavities  from  the  eftects  of 
disease,  so  that  the  juices  of  the  food,  during  mastication, 
readily  pass  into  the  nostrils.  Such  a  condition  of  these 
ducts  is  by  no  means  uncommon.     Every  one  has  seen  it 


DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS.  163 

shown  in  some  horses,  by  the  water  running  through  the  nose 
when  he  drinks  with  the  head  very  low. 

The  horse's  chances  for  recovery,  and  his  whole  future 
history,  will  now^  depend  entirely  upon  the  condition  he  is 
in,  and  the  care  that  is  taken  of  him.  Let  him  remain  in 
a  low,  damp  stable,  half  lighted,  and  scarcely  ventilated  at 
all,  and  his  present  condition  will  rapidly  degenerate  into 
glanders.  As  it  is,  the  case  is  sufficiently  obstinate  to  re- 
quire time  and  not  a  little  patience  to  remove  it.  But  with 
fidelity  and  perseverance  in  the  treatment,  a  cure  may.  be 
effected  in  nearly  every  instance. 

TREATMENT. 

This,  of  course,  will  be  very  similar  to  that  for  distemper. 
Wash  out  the  nose  well  with  the  little  mop  and  the  tobacco 
mixture,  every  day,  for  two  weeks,  or  until  the  discharge  has 
ceased.  Bathe  his  throat  with  some  of  the  mixture,  as  hot 
as  it  can  be  made  without  scalding  the  skin.  This  is  to  be 
applied  every  day  with  a  large  cloth.  If  his  condition  seems 
to  indicate  the  desirability  of  a  second  bleeding,  take  not  to 
exceed  three  pints  more  of  blood.  Give  one  pound  of  sul- 
phur and  half  a  pound  of  resin,  in  four  doses — one  dose 
each  day.  Should  there  be  any  cough  remaining,  try  the 
distemper  mixture,  and  continue  using  it  as  long  as  it  seems 
necessary. 

There  is  still  some  danger  of  infection.  In  addition  to  keep- 
ing dry  tobacco-leaves  in  the  manger  of  the  diseased  horse, 
the  stable  should  be  fumigated  once  a  week  for  a  month. 

The  feed  must  be  light  and  moist.  Good  pasture,  open 
air,  and  mild  exercise  will  greatly  accelerate  recovery.  Do 
not  keep  the  horse  in-doors,  if  the  weather  will  permit  of 
his  being  out.  If  in  winter,  let  him  have  a  liberal  propor- 
tion of  green  feed,  such  as  carrots,  potatoes,  turnips,  or  cab- 
bage.    At  the  same  time,  exercise  him  moderately  each  day. 

For  all  the  diseases  described  in  this  chapter,  the  remedy 
mentioned  under  Section  VII,  in  Chapter  XXIV,  will  be 
found  highly  valuable  as  a  purifier  of  the  blood. 


164 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


#. 


CHAPTER  yi. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE. 
I 


The  above  is  a  sectional  view  of  the  eye,  exhibiting  its 
different  parts.  It  also  shows  in  what  manner  the  sensation 
of  sight  is  produced. 

A  B  a  supposed  object  viewed  by  the  animal,  and  an  inverted  image  of  which, 

a,  6,  is  thrown  on  the  retina  at  the  back  of  the  eye. 
c  c    The  points  where  the  rays,  having  passed  the  cornea  and  lens,  converge 

by  the  refractive  power  of  the  lens. 
d  e    The  rays  proceeding  from  the  extremities  of  the  object  to  the  eye. 
/  The  cornea,  or  horny  and  transparent  part  of  the  eye,  covered  by  the  con- 

junctiva^  Uniting  different  parts  together. 
gr       The  crystalline  (crystal  or  glassy)  lens,  behind  the  pupil,  and  in  front  of 

the  vitreous  humor. 
h  h  Muscles  of  the  eye. 

i    The  optic  nerve,  or  nerve  of  sight. 

k  The  sclerotiva  (hard,  firm  coat)  covering  the  whole  of  the  eye,  except  the 

portion  occupied  by  the  cornea,  and  being  a  seeming  prolongation  of 

the  covering  of  the  optic  nerve. 
I  The  choToides  (receptacle,  or  covering),  or  choroid  coat,  covered  with  a 

black  secretion,  or  paint. 
m  m  The  im,  or  rainbow-colored  circular  membrane  under  the  cornea,  in  front 

of  the  eye,  and  on  which  the  color  of  the  eye  depends.     The  dupli- 

cature  behind  is  the  uvea,  so  called  from  being  colored  like  a  grape. 

The  opening  in  the  center  is  the  pupil. 
n  n  The  ciliary  (hair-like)  processes,  which  are  folds,  or  plaits,  of  the  choroid  coat, 

reflected  from  the  side  of  the  eye  to  the  edge  of  the  crystalline  lens. 


•#r 


f' 

DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  165 

o  The  relina^  or  net-like  expansion  of  the  optic  nerve,  spread  over  the  whole 

of  the  choroides  as  far  as  the  lens. 
p  The  vitreous  (glass-like)  humor  filling  the  whole  of  the  cavity  of  the  eye 

behind  the  lens. 
q  The  aqueous  (water-like)  humor  filling  the  space  between  the  cornea 

and  the  lens. 

"We  shall  be.  better  able  to  understand  tbe  various  diseases 
of  the  horse's  eje,  if  we  can  firsf  get  a  correct  idea  of  its 
structure  and  the  functions  of  its  different  parts.  With  the 
help  of  the  foregoing  cut,  this  will  not  be  difficult. 

The  eye  has  three  distinct  membranes,  or  coats,  and  also 
three  humors.  The  sclerotic  coat  (see  k)  is  that  upon  the 
outside,  covering  about  four-iifths  of  the  globe  of  the  eye. 
It  is  strong,  firm,  and  inelastic,  by  which  qualities  it  is  ad- 
liiirably  adapted  to  its  office  of  protecting  from  external 
injury  the  delicate  organ  which  it  incloses.  It  is  of  a  white 
color,  and  constitutes  that  membrane  which  is  seen  when 
the  "  white  of  the  eye "  is  exposed.  In  the  human  being, 
this  is  very  conspicuous ;  but  in  the  horse  it  is  rarely  visible, 
unless  the  animal  meditates  mischief,  when  he  turns  his 
glance  outward  or  backward  as  far  as  he  can,  and  thus  shows 
a  little  patch  of  the  sclerotic  coat. 

In  front — this  being  the  part  over  which  the  sclerotica  is 
not  extended — is  the  cornea  (see  /).  This  is  a  perfectly  trans- 
parent coat,  set  in  like  a  watch-crystal  in  its  case,  under  the 
circular  edges  of  the  sclerotica.  It  is  the  outer  membrane 
upon  the  front  of  the  eye. 

The  choroid  coat,  (see  J)  comes  next,  nearly  similar  in  its  ex- 
tension to  the  sclerotic.  It  is  an  exceedingly  fine  membrane, 
filled  with  a  net-work  of  blood-vessels,  and  covered  upon  the 
inside  with  a  peculiar  secretion,  a  black  pigment,  or  paint, 
which  absorbs  such  wandering  rays  of  light  received  within 
the  eye  as  might  dazzle  or  confuse  the  vision.  Opposite  the 
pupil  (which  will  be  described  shortly),  it  has  a  beautiful, 
greenish -white  lining,  whose  reflection,  although  not  visible 
in  the  glare  of  day,  may  be  seen  quite  plainly  in  the  gray  of 
twilight. 


iSiH 


166  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  inner  coat  of  all  is  the  retina  (see  o),  the  beautiful  ex- 
pansion of  the  optic  nerve  spread  over  the  internal  surface 
of  the  eye.  This  receives  the  impressions  conveyed  by  tht 
rays  of  light,  which,  when  they  fall  upon  it,  trace  on  its  deli- 
cate and  susceptible  expansion  a  wonderfully  minute  yet 
perfect  image  of  the  object  in  view  from  whence  the  rays 
have  proceeded.  By  the  optic  nerve  the  sensation  thus  ex- 
perienced is  instantly  conimunicated  to  the  brain,  the  seat 
of  intelligence,  and  in  this  way  the  animal  is  conscious  of 
seeing. 

The  three  humors  of  the  eye  are  the  aqueous  and  vitreous, 
and  the  crystalline  lens,  which  comes  between  them.  An- 
atomists do  not  always  call  the  lens  a  humor,  but  such  it 
really  is. 

The  aqueous  (watery)  humor  (see  q)  occupies  the  space  be- 
tween the  cornea  and  crystalline  lens.  It  is  a  perfectly  trans- 
parent and  limpid  fluid,  secreted  by  the  lining  of  the  cham- 
ber in  which  it  lies.  K  the  attenuated  walls  of  this  chamber 
are  punctured,  so  that  the  humor  escapes,  ISTature  rapidly 
renews  it,  and  the  sight  is  restored. 

The  crystalline  lens  (see  g)  consists  of  a  number  of  concen- 
tric layers,  arranged  like  the  coats  of  an  onion.  It  has  a 
jelly-like  consistence,  and  in  shape  is  double-convex,  as  rep- 
resented in  the  cut.  It  is  the  chief  agent  in  so  modifying 
and  refracting  the  rays  of  light,  which  are  continually  pro- 
ceeding from  every  object  within  the  range  of  vision,  as  to 
cause  those  rays  to  clearly  trace  the  miniature  image  of  that 
object  upon  the  retina.  Without  this  lens  sight  would  be 
impossible. 

The  vitreous  (glass-like)  humor  (see  p  p)  fills  the  great  bulk 
of  the  globe  of  the  eye.  It  is  a  limpid  fluid,  but,  being 
bound  up  in  a  net-work  of  transparent  cells,  it  has  the  ap- 
pearance and  consistency  of  a  thin  jelly. 

In  addition  to  these  three  membranes  and  three  humors, 
there  are  three  other  important  things  to  be  mentioned  in 
our  description  of  the  horse's  eye.  The  first  of  these  is  the 
conjunctiva,  which  is  the  very  delicate  membrane  covering  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  167 

whole  front  part  of  the  eye  and  the  inside  of  the  eyelids.  It 
is  perfectly  transparent  when  in  health,  but  becomes  blood- 
shot or  filmy  when  diseased.  We  shall  see,  as  we  proceed 
with  this  chapter,  that  it  is  extremely  liable  to  become  in- 
flamed. 

Another  noticeable  part  which  remains  to  be  described  is 
the  iris,  (literally,  the  rainbow,)  so  called  from  the  beautifully 
intermingling  hues  which  it  displays.  The  cut,  being  a  se.c- 
tional  view,  does  not  show  the  iris  any  further  than  to  im- 
perfectly indicate  its  location  at  m  m.  It  is  a  most  elegant 
and  delicate  curtain,  outstretched  in  the  space  between  the 
cornea  and  crystalline  lens.  Its  oflice  is  to  moderate  the  light 
entering  the  eye,  according  to  the  intensity  of  the  rays.  This 
is  the  membrane  that  gives  color  to  the  eye,  so  variable  in 
different  animals  and  in  the  human  species.  In  the  horse  its 
color  is  generally  brown,  or  verging  upon  it. 

But  this  curtain  is  not  a  continuous  one :  if  it  were,  the 
inner  chamber  of  the  eye  would  be  in  a  state  of  almost  entire 
darkness.  There  is  an  aperture. in  the  center,  forming  the 
'pu'pil,  which  is  the  last  thing  we  now  have  to  describe  in 
connection  with  the  eye.  The  substance  of  the  iris  is  com- 
posed of  contractile  tissue.  When  the  glare  of  a  noon-day 
sun,  or  other  bright  light,  falls  on  the  retina,  the  iris  con- 
tracts, and  the  pupil  is  made  smaller;  but  when  the  light 
which  falls  upon  the  retina  is  feeble — as  it  is  at  twilight,  for 
instance — the  iris  relaxes  and  the  pupil  is  enlarged,  in  order 
that  all  the  rays  possible  may  be  admitted.  The  difference 
in  the  size  of  the  pupil  may  be  plainly  seen  by  examining 
the  eye  of  a  sound  horse,  first  in  the  stable,  and  then  in  the 
bright  sunlight.  One's  own  eyes  (if  a  looking-glass  be  used), 
or  those  of  a  friend,  will  show  similar  changes,  in  this  re- 
spect, when  exposed  to  different  intensities  of  light. 

CAUSES    OF   DISEASED    EYES. 

The  eyes  of  the  horse  are  very  subject  to  disease;  for  their 
affections,  although  few  in  number,  are  lamentably  prevalent. 
Large  numbers  of  horses  are  ruined  yearly,  to  the  value  of 


168  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.   ' 

hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars,  in  our  country  alone,  by 
the  loss  of  eye-sight.  It  is  generally  considered,  when  the 
eyes  become  diseased,  that  all  is  over  with  that  horse-rhe 
must  go  blind.  For  most  ordinary  uses,  such  an  animal  is 
regarded  as  but  little  better  than  worthless.  It  will  be  quite 
worth  our  while,  therefore,  to  examine  into  the  causes  which 
make  so  many  horses  go  blind. 

Bad  stable-management  and  ill-usage  are  at  the  bottom  of 
the  trouble,  in  a  large  majority  of  instances.  Of  the  former 
cause,  as  it  exists  in  many  portions  of  the  Union,  we  can  not 
forbear  speaking  with  great  severity ;  the  latter  is  still  more 
apparent.  Both  are. prolific  in  breeding  disease  and  con- 
tagion, and  both  work  fearful  consequences  to  the  eye-sight. 

How  many  stables  have  we  visited  where  the  volatile  gas 
of  fgnmonia,  or  hartshorn,  was  so  strong  that  it  brought  the. 
water  into  our  eyes  when  we  remained  there  only  a  few 
moments!  What  must  be  the  effect  upon  the  eyes  of  the 
poor  horse,  compelled  to  live  amid  these  fumes  for  weeks  and 
months  together !  But  perhaps  a  still  more  serious  evil  is 
the  deficiency  of  light,  which  characterizes  so  many  stables. 
Light  is  essential  to  the  health  of  both  body  and  mind  of 
man,  and  the  physical  needs  of  the  animal,  in  this  respect, 
are  equally  as  great  as  his.  Even  vegetation,  when  grown 
in  the  dark,  turns  pale  and  sallow,  and  tastes  utterly  insipid. 
Light  imparts  to  it  essential  qualities  which  nothing  else 
can ;  and  so  with  the  physical  system  of  living  beings.  The 
watery  humors  and  secretions  of  the  body  are  subject  to 
change  in  the  dark.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the 
eye  suffers  when  deprived  of  the*  light,  which  is  its  natural 
element;  or  that,  after  a  time,  its  watery  humors  begin  to 
look  milky. 

Chronic  distemper  and  founder,  with  some  other  constitu- 
tional diseases,  which  are  also  the  offspring  of  bad  manage- 
ment, help  to  aggravate  any  unfavorable  condition  of  the 
eyes,  and  often  directly  predispose  them  to  disease.  Ex- 
ternal injuries  operate  in  a  similar  manner.  Some  brutal 
teamster  inflicts  a  blow  on  the  head,  which  is  received,  in 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  169 

part,  by  the  eye-ball,  or  the  end  of  Iws  lash  accidentally 
strikes  the  eye,  and,  in  either  case,  soreness  and  inflammation 
follow..  Few  horses  would  ever  have  diseased  eyes  if  kept 
in  the  open  air  and  kindly  cared  for;  nor  would  they  be 
much  more  likely  to,  if  they  were  housed  in  well-kept  and 
properly-lighted  stables. 

Any  of  the  circumstances  which  we  have  thus  enumerated, 
especially  when  accompanied  by  a  feverish  condition  of  the 
general  system,  are  very  apt  to  bring  on  more  or  less  inflam- 
mation about  the  eyes  and  head,  frequently  extending  to  the 
lacrymal  ducts,  which  have  been  described  in  the  section  on 
blind  staggers.  These  are  closed  up,  so  that  no  water  can 
pass  through  them.  Thus  they  constantly  increase  the  in- 
flammation of  the  surrounding  parts,  and  the  eye  becomes 
worse  and  worse. 

NATURALLY  WEAK   EYES. 

Every  farmer  has  heard,  and  probably  talked,  a  great  deal 
about  naturally  weak  eyes  in  different  horses;  and  yet  it  may 
be  questioned  whether  the  phrase  is  properly  applicable  once 
in  a  hundred  times  when  people  use  it.  Natural  weakness 
or  deficiency  of  the  organ  of  sight,  is  extremely  rare.  It 
must  be  confessed,  however,  that  there  does  seem  to  be  a 
greater  susceptibility  of  disease  in  some  cases  than  in  others. 
When  the  water  from  the  eyes  runs  down  upon  the  outside, 
it  is  an  evidence  that  the  lacrymal  ducts,  its  natural  channel, 
are  closed.  It  indicates  an  inflammatory  condition  of  those 
passages,  which  is  very  likely  to  be  communicated  to  the 
eyes. 

So  far  as  our  observation  has  extended,  weak  or  inflamed 
eyes  have  no  connection  with  any  particular  stock  of  horses, 
nor  with  any  particular  size,  color,  or  shape  of  the  eye,  nor 
yet  with  any  color  of  the  hair.  Nor  do  "blind  teeth  "  trouble 
the  horse  much.  If  they  are  in  the  way,  it  is  easy  to  knock 
them  out  with  a  mallet  and  a  hard  piece  of  wood.  But  this 
is  seldom,  if  ever,  necessary.  Let  them  alone,  and  they  will 
come  away  of  themselves,  at  the  proper  time.     There  is  no 


170  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

such  connection  between  these  teeth  and  the  eyes  as  to  war- 
rant the  assumption  of  some  modern  horse  doctors,  that  the 
former  are  the  cause  of  serious  irritation  to  the  horse  in  re- 
spect to  his  eye-sight. 

Sometimes,  however,  a  false  tooth  is  found  growing  up  be- 
side the  upper  jaw  teeth — in  part  between  the  first  and  second 
teeth,  but  lapping  over  both  of  them — which  it  would  be 
difficult  to  convince  most  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  horse- 
breeders  is  not  in  some  manner  concerned  in  producing 
weak  or  diseased  eyes.  While  their  opinion  is  entirely  er- 
roneous, it  is  true  that  this  tooth  is  so  much  in  the  way 
that  it  ought  to  be  removed.  This  may  be  effected  by  the 
means  just  named,  or  with  a  large  pair  of  forceps,  a  pair  of 
pincers,  or  a  pair  of  blacksmith's  tongs. 

There  is  a  time  in  the  life  of  the  colt,  during  teething, 
when  the  soreness  of  the  gums,  from  cutting  teeth,  may  act 
as  an  exciting  cause  of  fever  in  the  head,  and  may  thus  have 
something  to  do  with  the  eyes;  but  many  other  complaints 
to  which  the  horse  is  subject  are  still  more  likely  to  pro- 
duce the  same  effects.  Big  head,  poll  evil,  glanders,  dis- 
temper, and  other  disorders,  are  all  accompanied  by  fever 
about  the  head;  yet,  fatal  as  they  often  prove,  it  is  rarely 
that  any  one  charges  upon  them  the  horse's  weak  or  dis- 
eased eyes. 

All  these  theories  which  assume  to  find  the  cause  of  blind- 
ness or  imperfect  vision  in  certain  conditions  of  the  teeth, 
must  be  regarded  as  thoroughly  exploded.  They  do  not 
stand  the  test  of  close  observation,  while  reason  is  most  de- 
cidedly opposed  to  them.  The  horse  with  the  best  eyes  may 
lose  them  by  disease ;  and  many  an  animal  with  a  suspicious 
looking  eye,  we  have  known  to  fall  asleep  in  death,  at  a  good 
old  age,  and  both  whose  "naturally  weak  eyes"  did  their 
duty  perfectly  to  the  very  last.  Our  experience  has  taught  us 
this :  Whenever  you  find  a  horse  with  what  is  called  natu- 
rally weak  eyes,  you  may  set  it  down  as  an  almost  positive 
certainty  that  some  unfeeling  person  has  owned  or  used  him, 
At  some  period  or  other,  and  has  maltreated  or  abused  him 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  171 

in  some  way.  Such  is  the  history  of  the  infirmity  in  nearly 
all  cases. 

Nor  do  we  believe  one  half  of  what  is  said  and  written  in 
regard  to  weak  eyes  being  inherited.  Our  own  observation 
tends  to  the  conclusion  that  the  doctrine  of  hereditary  weak- 
ness, in  this  respect  most  noticeably,  has  been  carried  to  an 
unreasonable  extreme  by  the  majority  of  breeders  and  veteri- 
nary authors.  In  this  opinion  a  large  number  of  the  prin- 
cipal horse-i-aisers,  with  whom  our  profession  has  brought 
us  in  contact,  fully  conincide.  Some  of  them  have  tested 
the  question  by  repeated*  experiments.  A  friend  in  Wilson 
County,  Tennessee,  did  this  in  the  case  of  four  blind  mares, 
each  of  whom  brought  two  or  three  colts  in  as  many  years, 
and  no  fault  could  be  found  with  the  eyes  of  any  of  them. 
We  knew  them  long  enough  to  test  the  matter.  .  Except  in 
respect  to  their  eye-sight,  they  were  fine  mares,  with  good 
parts,  and  in  excellent  condition.  The  colts  were  equally 
good,  and  had  perfect  eyes  besides. 

If  there  be  no  other  fault — if  the  form,  size,  and  blood  be 
right,  there  is  little  reason  to  apprehend  any  serious  defect 
in  the  colt.  Eyes  and  all,  he  will  be  sound  hardly  less  surely 
than  if  neither  parent  had  had  a  blemish.  This  is  not  so  un- 
reasonable as,  at  first  sight,  it  may  seem  to  many;  because, 
as  we  have  before  said,  "  naturally  weak  eyes  "  and  blindness 
are  nearly  always  the  direct  result  of  external  injury  or  abuse 
of  some  kind.  !N'ot  long  since,  we  saw  a  very  fine  stable 
horse,  with  an  enlarged  hock  joint,  which  made  him  so  lame 
that  he  could  only  with  difficulty  walk  off'  at  all.  The  owner 
was  warranting  him  that  this  should  not  affect  the  foal,  and 
he  was  perfectly  safe  in  so  doing. 

Spavin,  ring-bone,  and  some  other  deformities,  are  in  the 
same  category.  They  are  nearly  always  produced  by  some 
violence  or  bad  treatment,  and  are  seldom  transmitted  from 
one  generation  to  the  next. 

Another  prevalent  opinion  which  claims  our  attention  is 
this,  that  young  horses  and  colts  have  weak  eyes  oftener  than 
more  mature  animals.     This  is  certainly  an  entire  misappre- 


172  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

hension  of  the  facts  in  the  case.  True,  there  is  a  large  ma- 
jority of  young  animals  among  the  whole  number  thus 
afflicted ;  but  this  is  only  a  natural  consequence  of  the  fact 
that  there  are  nearly  twice  as  many  colts  and  young  horses, 
in  all  farming  regions,  as  there  are  older  ones.  Taking  into 
consideration  this  disparity  in  point  of  numbers,  no  dift'er- 
ence  can  be  found  among  these  classes  in  respect  to  diseased 
eyes. 

One  fact  is  important  in  this  connection.  Colts,  like  chil- 
dren, are  more  apt  to  take  disease  than  they  will  be  when 
they  have  grown  older  and  stronger.  Many  a  lingering  and 
ultimately  fatal  disorder,  in  both  man  and  beast,  might  have 
been  averted  by  proper  care  and  judicious  management  in 
their  youth.  The  seeds  of  weakness  and  decay  are  often 
implanted  at  a  very  early  age,  growing  with  the  growth  and 
strengthening  with  the  strength. 

The  principles  laid  down  in  this  section  have  a  pointed 
illustration  in  the  history  of  a  noble  horse  which  the  author 
once  owned.  Under  the  saddle  and  in  the  buggy,  Turk — 
for  that  was  his  name — had  no  superior.  He  was  a  deep 
chestnut  sorrel,  a  perfect  beauty.  We  owned  him  three 
years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  his  eyes  went  entirely 
out.  They  were  fearfully  diseased  when  he  came  into  our 
hands,  and  had  been  for  at  least  two  years  previous.  Dur- 
ing all  this  time,  his  eye-sight  was  gradually  but  surely  fad- 
ing away.  The  right  eye  failed  first,  and  then  the  left.  Such 
was  the  power  and  endurance  of  his  vital  energies,  that  for 
this  long  period  of  time  they  resisted  the  encroachments  of 
disease,  and  succumbed  at  last,  only  after  a  struggle  of  Hve 
years. 

Turk  had  every  indication  of  good  eyes.  They  were  large 
and  well  set  in  the  sockets,  with  a  wide  space  between  them, 
and  the  bone  of  the  skull  was  dishing.  In  short,  his  head 
was  a  perfect  model  for  a  strong  eye.  IlTow,  what  was  the 
cause  of  his  going  blind  ?  His  case  was  called  one  of  "  natu- 
rally weak  eyes."  We  traded  for  him,  in  part,  to  experiment 
upon,  and  to  see  whether  his  eyes  could  not  be  cured ;  and 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  173 

although  the  J  had  gone  too  far  for  this,  we  are  satisfied  that 
partial  sight  was  prolonged  at  least  two  years  by  the  treat- 
ment applied  to  them.  His  history,  when  we  succeeded  in 
learning  it  fully,  proved  to  be  as  follows :  He  was  very  fast, 
and  had  been  trotted  on  time  for  a  wager.  He  fell  into  the 
hands  of  a  wild,  reckless  young  man,  who  often  forced  him 
to  his  utmost  speed,  utterly  regardless  of  consequences.  Al- 
most daily  he  was  overheated,  and  when  taken  back  to  the 
stable,  with  his  blood  at  fever  heat,  was  regularly  fed  on 
corn.  At  other  times,  after  these  hard  drives,  he  was  left  to 
stand  in  the  rain  or  cold,  for  hours  together,  without  shelter 
of  any  kind.  After  three  years  of  such  treatment,  his  eyes 
betrayed  signs  of  weakness,  and  at  intervals  he  became  en- 
tirely blind.     Was  it  any  wonder  ? 

A  nearly  similar  history  might  be  traced  in,  well-nigh 
every  case  of  this  kind.  Different  horses  evidently  possess 
the  ability  to  withstand  the  influence  of  such  abuse,  in  very 
different  degrees.  In  the  vast  majority  of  cases,  however, 
the  farmer  may  rest  assured  that  bad  eyes  are  the  fruit  of 
previous  bad  management. 

GENERAL   TREATMENT   OF   DISEASED   EYES. 

Predisposition  to  disease  seems  often  to  exist  in  the  eyes 
of  some  horses.  When  not  the  result  of  injuries  of  the  parts, 
this  generally  arises  from  the  presence  of  fever  in  the  system, 
or  from  some  deep-rooted  and  chronic  affection.  To  be  of 
any  benefit  in  such  cases,  remedies  must  eilter  the  blood,  and 
radically  change  the  animal's  entire  condition.  Alteratives, 
though  very  useful,  do  not  seem  to  act  so  readily  and  power- 
fully upon  the  system  of  the  horse  as  on  that  of  the  human 
being.  More  vigorous  measures  must  be  adopted,  in  order 
to  secure  the  same  ends. 

In  the  case  under  consideration,  bleeding  will  be  of  most 
essential  service.  Three  pints  of  blood  may  be  taken  from 
the  neck  vein,  every  ten  days,  for  two  months,  or  more  than 
this,  if  the  progress  of  the  case  renders  it  advisable.  As 
to  medicines,  sulphur  is  the  great  alterative  in  treating  the 


174  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

•^  •  horse.  It  is  slow  in  its  action,  but  enters  more  readily  into 
the  blood,  and  extends  its  efiects  to  the  capillaries  and  skin 
more  thoroughly  than  any  other  remedy  that  we  ever  used. 
The  flour  of  sulphur,  although  not  so  strong  as  the  roll 
sulphur,  is  much  more  convenient  for  the  farmer's  purposes, 
as  it  is  already  pulverized.  Give  three  doses,  every  other 
day,  for  a  week — one-fourth  of  a  pound  at  a  dose — and  then 
omit  for  a  week.  Continue  giving  it  in  this  way,  each  al- 
ternate week,  for  two  months.  The  preparation  mentioned 
in  Section  VII,  of  Chapter  XXIV,  will  also  be  found  an 
excellent  alterative. 

If  in  winter,  let  the  horse  have  plenty  of  green  food,  such 
as  carrots,  beets,  or  cabbage,  as  long  as  it  can  be  procured. 
His  diet  should  always  be  light  and  moist,  with  an  entire 
exclusion  of  corn. 

If  there  is  an  inflammation  in  the  eye  or  about  the  lids, 
use  the  eye-wash  freely.  Should  the  lids  be  much  inflamed 
underneath,  scarify  them  a  little.  Put  a  twitch  on  the  horse's 
nose  to  hold  him  still ;  then  turn  the  lids  over,  so  as  to  ex- 
pose their  inner  surface,  and,  with  the  point  of  a  sharp  knife, 
make  a  number  of  slight  incisions.  Let  them  bleed  freely. 
This  will  allow  the  overloaded  vessels  to  discharge  them- 
selves, and  will  thus  aflford  great  relief.  If  necessary,  the 
operation  may  be  repeated  two  or  three  times,  at  intervals 
of  four  or  five  days. 

f  SORE   EYELIDS. 

Soreness  of  the  eyelids  is  very  commonly  the  beginning 
of  more  serious  disease.  It  is  an  invariable  accompaniment 
of  inflammation  of  the  eye.  But  there  is  one  form  of  it,  dif- 
fering from  its  usual  development  from  that  cause,  chara-c- 
terized  by  redness  and  itching  about  the  edges,  which  some- 
times become  raw  and  mattery.  These  cases  usually  prove 
very  obstinate  and  difficult  of  treatment,  from  the  fact  that 
the  horse  is  always  rubbing  "them,  and  so  keeping  up  the 
irritation  and  soreness. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  175 

TREATMENT. 

1^0  application  will  be  of  any  benefit  unless  the  horse's 
head  can  be  fastened,  which  will  be  the  first  thing  to  be 
done.  In  a  mild  case,  wet  the  lids  with  the  eye-wash  two 
or  threes  times  a  day;  in  an  aggravated  or  an  unusually  ob- 
stinate case,  use  the  mercurial  salve,  but  very  cautiously,  the 
edges  of  the  lids  being  just  touched  with  it.  The  utmotft 
care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  it  from  running  into  the  eye. 

MOON  EYES. 

What  farmers  call  "  moon  eyes  "  are  the  effects  of  a  dis- 
order known  to  scientific  practitioners  as  specific  or  periodic 
ophthalmia- — a  disease  more  to  be"  dreaded  than  any  other  to 
which  the  eye  is  subject.  It  is  an  inflammation  of  the  scle- 
rotic, or  outer  white  coat  of  the  eye ;  of  the  conjunctiva,  the 
delicate  membrane  covering  the  front  of  the  eye  and  the  inside 
of  the  lids ;  and  of  the  iris,  the  little  curtain  stretched  across 
the  interior  of  the  first  chamber  of  the  eye.  From  the  ex- 
tent to  which  the  iris  is  involved,  this  aftection  has  also  re- 
ceived the  name  of  iritis. 

The  conjunctiva  is  the  part  which  first,  and  most  notice- 
ably, shows  the  terrible  inflammation.  The  "  white  of  the 
eye  "  wears  a  deep  red  appearance ;  the  cornea  looks  cloudy, 
and,  perhaps,  has  a  few  specks ;  deeper  down,  the  iris  has 
lost  its  bright  color;  and  the  aqueous  humor,  filling  the 
outer  chamber  of  the  eye,  looks  thick  and  milky.  In  fact, 
the  eye  is  now  undergoing  complete  disorganization.  The 
forces  of  Nature  rally  to  resist  the  attack ;  there  is  a  great 
and  often  sudden  improvement;  and  for  a  time,  it  seems  as 
though  the  disease  had  been  baffled.  But  the  same  causes 
which  brought  on  the  first  attack  presently  induce  another. 
Thus,  for  months,  or  it  may  be  for  years,  the  assaults  of 
disease  come  and  go,  each  time  returning  sooner,  remaining 
longer,  and  evidently  of  a  worse  type  than  before. 

The  first  alternation  of  improvement  is  very  likely  to  mis- 
lead the  owner  into  the  belief  that  the  trouble  is  entirely 


176  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

over.  He  soon  discovers  his  nristake.  The  attack  comes  on 
again;  and  now  the  membrane  is  more  inflamed,  the  eye 
clouds  thicker,  and  the  aqueous  humor  becomes  more  milky 
in  appearance,  than  before.  Once  more  these  symptoms  al- 
most entirely  disappear.  A  close  inspection  of  the  e^^e  at 
this  time  shows  a  slight  depression  in  the  general  roundness 
of  its  form ;  and,  after  each  successive  attack,  it  seems  more 
llnd  more  flattened,  and  the  aqueous  humor  whiter  and 
thicker. 

These  periodic  recurrences  increase  in  both  frequency  and 
duration,  until,  at  last,  there  is  no  intermission  between  them. 
The  eye-ball  loses  its  convexity,  the  aqueous  humor  is  per- 
manently thickened,  the  power  of  the  transmission  of  light 
is  entirely  lost,  and  the  hofse  becomes  blind  forever. 

This  form  of  disease  is  popularly  known  as  "moon  blind- 
ness," from  the  periodic  nature  of  its  returns,  which  a  singu- 
lar notion  has  associated  with  the  changes  of  the  moon. 
But  it  is  found  that  there  is  no  regularity  in  the  intermis- 
sions between  these  returns.  They  come  on  much  more 
frequently  in  the  later  than  in  the  early  stages  of  the  dis- 
ease, at  intervals  varying  from  only  six  to  as  much  as  fifty 
days. 

TREATMENT. 

We  know  of  no  cure  for  specific  ophthalmia.  '  The  disease 
has  progressed  too  far  for  the  practitioner's  skill  to  be  of 
much  avail,  and  is  too  deeply  seated  to  be  reached  by  any 
direct  treatment.  In  most  cases  the  owner  stands  by,  a 
helpless  spectator  of  the  ruin  which  is  being  wrought  in  the 
eyes  of  his  favorite.  The  aqueous  humor  is  undergoing  a 
fearful  deterioration,  which  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  mortal 
to  permanently  arrest.  All  that  can  be  done  is  to  retard  its 
progress,  and  to  afford  temporary  relief.  In  this  direction 
much  may  sometimes  be  accomplished.  The  hints  we  have 
given  in  a  preceding  section,  in  regard  to  the  general  treat- 
ment of  diseased  eyes,  should  be  acted  upon  as  far  as  they 
are  applicable.     Copious  bleeding  and  a  strong  dose  of  salts 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  ITf 

will  cause  the  eye  to  clear  up  very  suddenly.  Jockeys  have 
a  trick  of  doing  this  when  they  wish  to  dispose  of  a  moon- 
eyed  horse  not  entirely  blind. 

There  is  another  species  of  inflammation  of  the  eye,  called 
simple  ophthalmia,  which  it  is  not  always  easy  to  distinguish 
from  the  earliest  stages  of  the  much  more  formidable  dis- 
ease just  described.  It  is  generally  one  of  the  effects  of  a^ 
cold,  or  is  caused  by  the  presence  of  some  foreign  body  in 
the  eye,  and,  for  the. most  part,  the  inflammation  is  confined 
to  the  conjjmctiva.  If  it  does  not  pass  away  of  itself  a« 
soon  as  the  horse  begins  to  recover  from  the  cold,  or  the  irri- 
tating substance  is  removed,  it  readily  yields  to  treatment  in 
nearly  every  case. 

CATARACT. 

Cataract  is  an  opacity  of  the  crystalline  lens,  an  affection 
which  renders  this  most  important  humor  of  the  eye  utterly 
incapable  of  transmitting  the  rays  of  light  to  the  retina  be- 
hind. It  is  quite  commonly,  though  not  always,  the  sequel 
of  a  case  of  "  moon  eyes."  When  it  is  confirmed,  the  sight 
is  hopelessly  destroyed.  The  pupil  of  the  eye  then  becomes 
so  white  that  even  the  casual  observer  will  notice  it  at  a 
considerable  distance.  A  lesser  degree  of  the  same  appear- 
ance marks  its  progress  from  the  beginning.  In  our  country 
this  disease  is  happily  of  rare  occurrence. 

Our  farmers,  however,  are  better  acquainted  with  another 
affection  of  the  eye  which  goes  by  the  same  name.  It  is 
one  form  of  what  some  veterinarians  call  spurious  cataracts. 
A  small,  whitish  spot  is  seen  on  the  eye,,  generally  near  the 
outer  corner.  It  has  a  peculiarly  thick,  cloudy  appearance, 
and  seems  to  be  of  a  cartilaginous  or  gristly  texture.  Some- 
times it  increases  to  half  the  size  of  a  wheat  grain,  but  is 
usually  a  great  deal  less.  It  gets  no  larger,  and,  in  time, 
Nature  will  get  rid  of  it  without  any  assistance.  These 
spots  generally  make  their  appearance  between  the  ages  of 
three  and  six  years,  and  disappear  within  the  next  three 
12 


'^ 


178  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

years  afterward.     Their  duration  is  very  variable,  from  one 
day  upward.     They  impair  the  vision  but  little,  if  at  all. 

GLASS   BYES. 

Nearly  all  writers  on  the  horse  speak  of  "  glass  eyes  "  as 
the  popular  name  of  amaurosis,  or  gutta  serena,  which  is  palsy 
of  the  retina,  the  expansion  of  the  optic  nerve.  A  disease 
of  this  character  must  be  exceedingly  difficult  of  treatment, 
and  can  seldom  have  any  other  termination  than  blindness. 
Thus  the  English  veterinarians  all  describe  it. 
■^  But  in  this  country  the  term  "glass  eye"  has  another  and 
very  different  meaning.  It  is  applied  to  a  peculiar  forma- 
tion of  the  organ,  which  seldom  hinders  the  horse  from  seeing 
as  well  as  ever.  Very  young  colts  have  had  glass  eyes,  and 
have  grown  old,  without  showing  any  change  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  eye.  During  all  this  time  they  could,  appar- 
ently, see  as  well  as  other  horses,  and  the  same  in  this  eye 
as  in  the  other.  Only  one  eye  seems  to  possess  this  pecul- 
iarity at  the  same  time,  and,  except  its  white,  glassy  look, 
its  appearance  in  no  wise  differs  from  that  of  the  other. 
Utterly  unlike  the  symptoms  of  genuine  amaurosis,  the  pupil 
is  perfect,  and  the  iris  is  distinct  and  quite  natural.  It  is 
most  probable  that  the  white  ring  around  the  cornea  is  but 
the  reflection  in  the  aqueous  humor  of  a  peculiar  color  of 
some  of  the  coatings  of  the  eye,  as  a  close  inspection  shows 
the  aqueous  and  vitreous  humors  in  the  glass  eye  to  be  of 
the  same  color,  and  as  clear  and  transparent  as  in  the  other. 
No  treatment  is  necessary. 

The  owner  of  a  glass-eyed  horse  in  this  country,  or,  at 
least,  in  the  Western  and  South-western  States,  would  be  sur- 
prised to  be  told  that  his  animal  was  less  valuable  on  account 
of  this  peculiarity.  If  it  injured  his  sale  at  all,  it  would  be 
solely  on  account  of  its  singular  look. 

INFLAMMATION  OP  THE  HAW,  OR  HOOKS. 

One  of  the  most  common  affections  to  which  the  eye  of 
the  horse  is  subject  is  inflammation  of  the  haw,  constituting 


.M^ 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  179 

what  is  known  all  over  the  country  as  "  hooks."  The  dis- 
ease is  variously  called  "  bone  hooks  "  and  "  fatty  hooks." 
Yet  there  are  many  among  the  masses  who  doubt  the  exist- 
ence of  "  hooks,"  and  the  question  is  often  asked  whether 
horses  do  really  have  them.  To  this  query  only  one  reply 
is  possible.  Ko  hook,  or  hooks,  or  any  thing  else,  grows  in 
the  eye  that  does  not  belong  there.  If  people  were  better 
informed  concerning  the  structure  and  uses  of  the  haw,  they 
would  not  fall  into  such  errors  in  regard  to  the  "  hooks." 

The  haw — or  "washer,"  as  it  is  sometimes  called — is  a 
little,  triangular-shaped  cartilage,  lying  just  within  the  inner 
corner  of  the  eye,  where  ]^ature  has  provided  a  cavity,  in 
which  it  rests  when  not  in  use.  Being  thus  stored  away, 
only  a  small  portion  of  it  can  be  seen  when  the  eye  is  in 
health.  Its  shape  is  exactly  adapted  to  the  convexity  of  the 
eye.  Like  other  cartilages,  its  texture  is  tough  and  gristly. 
It  is  also  very  elastic. 

The  haw  serves  as  a  sort  of  scoop,  to  pass  quickly  over  the 
eye  and  throw  off  any  offending  substances  which  may  have 
lodged  upon  the  ball,  such  as  dust,  hay-seed,  flies,  and  gnats. 
Motion  is  given  it,  not  directly  by  muscular  action,  and  yet, 
at  the  will  of  the  horse,  most  perfectly.  The  arrangement 
by  which  this  is  effected  is  curious  and  admirable  indeed. 
The  orbit — the  cavity  in  which  the  eye  is  placed — is  plenti- 
fully supplied  with  fatty  deposits,  which  enable  the  organ  to 
turn  in  all  directions  without  friction;  and  these  deposits 
are  most  abundant  in  the  part  back  of  the  eye,  especially 
toward  its  inner  corner.  Powerful  muscles  surround  the  eye. 
These  the  horse  contracts  when  any  disagreeable  substance 
alights  upon  the  eye-ball ;  by  a  mechanism  almost  peculiar 
to  the  horse,  the  eye  is  drawn  back  in  its  socket ;  the  fatty 
deposits  near  the  inner  corner  are  pressed  down  upon  the 
haw  with  such  force  that  it  is  thrust  out,  and,  darting  with 
lightning-like  velocity  over  the  surface  of  the  eye-ball,  gathei» 
up  the  offending  particles  of  dirt,  or  whatever  foreign  body 
is  to  be  removed.  Then  the  muscles  relax ;  the  eye  and  its 
fatty  deposits  resume  their  original  arrangement;  and  the 


180  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

elastic  haw  returns  to  its  place,  like  a  piece  of  well-stretched 
India-rubber  when  one  lets  go  of  it. 

Any  one  who  will  note  the  beautiful  play  of  this  tendon, 
when  any  thing  approaches  too  near  the  eye,  can  but  admire 
the  wisdom  and  kindness  of  the  Creator  in  providing  this 
important  and  delicate  organ  with  a  means  of  protection  so 
admirably  adapted  to  its  purpose.  Its  play  may  best  be  seen 
by  trying  to  pull  open  the  lids,  or  to  touch  the  end  of  the 
finger  to  the  eye-ball. 

Inflammation  of  the  haw  usually  proceeds  from  fever  and 
inflammation  of  the  other  parts  of  the  eye,  accompanied  by 
swelling.  Continued  inflammation  gives  the  cartilaginous 
haw  a  hard,  bony  consistency,  which  it  did  not  before  possess ; 
and,  in  consequence  of  its  own  swelling  and  that  of  the  parts 
which  press  upon  it,  it  protrudes  from  its  place  under  the 
lids  into  the  corner  of  the  eye,  in  the  form  of  a  large,  whitish 
lump,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  horse,  and  presenting  a 
very  unsightly  appearance.  It  is  often  bent  out  of  shape, 
and  is  crooked  more  than  is  natural.  The  removal  of  the 
haw,  when  it  is  in  this  hardened,  enlarged  condition,  forms 
what  farmers  call  "  cutting  for  bone  hooks."  The  lump  has 
a  fatty  appearance,  also,  since  the  haw,  like  the  adjacent 
parts,  is  supplied  with  a  share  of  adipose  matter.  Hence  the 
term  "fatty  hooks." 

A  foolish  and  barbarous  practice,  greatly  in  vogue  in  some 
sections,  removes  these  bony,  fatty  lumps  with  the  knife. 
One  fact  is  patent  in  regard  to  this  treatment:  the  little 
appendage  which  the  Creator  has  wisely  given  to  the  eye, 
for  its  protection  and  comfort,  is  forever  destroyed.  In  all 
cases,  the  eye  is  greatly  impaired,  and  sometimes  nearly 
ruined.  The  custom  is  ignorant  and  barbarous.  It  must  be 
so  denounced  by  every  person  of  common  sense  who  knows 
what  the  haw  was  given  the  horse  for,  and  should  not  be 
tolerated  anywhere.  If  those  who  practice  it  were  compelled 
to  travel  all  day  through  the  heat  and  diist,  without  any 
means  of  protecting  the  eye  from  the  glare  of  the  sun,  or 
the  irritation  of  the  gritty  particles  of  dust,  they  would 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  181 

better  understand  the  irreparable  mischief  they  do  the  horse 
in  "  cutting  for  the  hooks."  It  is  altogether  unnecessary. 
Time  and  a  little  generous  treatment,  such  as  tends  to  re- 
move inflammation,  will  invariably  set  matters  right  again. 

TREATMENT. 

Occasionally  it  may  be  necessary  to  cauterize  the  haw,  but 
this  will  only  occur  in  extreme  cases,  where  the  inflammation 
and  swelling  are  very  great.  The  eye-wash,  applied  two  or 
three  times  a  day,  will  generally  prove  sufficient.  There 
should  be  warm  applications  of  this  to  the  fatty  lump,  by 
using  a  soft  piece  of  cloth,  or  some  cotton,  tied  on  the  end 
of  a  stick.  Pull  the  lids  apart,  and  wash  the  swollen  and 
inflamed  parts  thoroughly.  If  the  lacrymal  ducts  appear  to 
be  closed,  apply  the  eye-wash  to  the  nose,  with  a  swab  of 
the  same  kind  as  that  described  in  connection  with  the 
treatment  of  blind  staggers.  Slight  scarification  may  do 
good,  in  order  to  relieve  the  overloaded  blood-vessels;  but 
do  not  think  of  using  the  knife  for  any  other  purpose.  Bleed 
from  the  neck  vein  once  or  twice,  at  intervals  of  ten  days. 
A  gallon  of  blood  may  be  taken  the  first  time,  and  half  that 
amount  the  next. 

By  this  treatment,  the  inflammation  will  be  removed,  and 
the  swelling  will  gradually  subside.  Some  morning,  when 
the  owner  goes  out  to  look  at  his  diseased  horse,  the  hooks 
will  be  missing;  bone  hooks  and  fat  hooks  will  have  utterly 
vanished,  and  the  haw  will  have  become  so  reduced  in  size 
as  to  resume  its  proper  place  in  the  cosy  little  socket  which 
the  God  of  iN'ature  has  provided  for  it  at  the  corner  of 
the  eye. 

DIMNESS   OF  VISION. 

Many  horses  can  not  see  well,  although  their  eyes  have  no 
apparent  disease.  Some  are  almost  blind  at  night;  others 
have  their  chief  trouble  in  the  daytime,  the  bright  sunshine 
seeming  to  put  the  eyes  almost  out.  The  cause  of  this  may 
generally  be  determined  without  much   difficulty;  the  eyes 


i 


•  /. 


182  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

are  either  too  flat  or  too  convex.  A  great  difference  may  be 
noticed  in  the  eyes  of  different  horses,  not  so  much  as  to  size 
as  their  shape. 

The  coastings  of  the  eyes  are  not  equally  transparent  in  all 
horses,  and  a  similar  difference  exists  in  regard  to  the  clear- 
ness and  refractive  powers  of  the  humors.  Sometimes  the 
rays  of  light  do  not  fall  properly  upon  the  retina;  or,  as  oc- 
casionally happens,  the  retina  may  be  so  small  that  some  of^ 
them  fall  outside  of  it.  When  the  eye  is  too  full  or  convex, 
the  rays  will  converge  too  soon,  and  form  an  image  of  the 
object  in  front  of  the  retina ;  when  it  is  too  flat,  they  do  not 
converge  soon  enough,  and  their  proper  focus  is  behind  the 
retina.  These  conditions  may  all  exist,  while  there  is  no 
trace  whatever  of  local  or  chronic  disease  of  the  eyes. 

Old  horses  are  the  ones  most  subject  to  dimness  of  vision. 
Their  eyes  become  too  flat,  and  this  produces  far-sighted- 
ness. The  trouble  with  young  horses  is  generally  the  reverse ; 
they  are  near-sighted  from  the  too  great  convexity  of  the 
cornea.  Either  of  these  infirmities  are  likely  to  make  a  horse 
subject  to  sudden  starts  and  other  disagreeable  eccentricities. 
How  often  may  one  see  a  near-sighted  horse  paying  no  atten- 
tion to  the  approach  of  an  object,  until  it  is  quite  near,  and 
then,  when  he  discovers  it,  throwing  up  his  head  with  a 
quick  start,  and  other  signs  of  alarm.  Such  an  animal  is 
pretty  sure  to  be  an  inveterate  stumbler,  from  the  mistakes 
which  he  is  always  making  in  estimating  distances. 

The  eyes  of  some  horses  are  never  clear;  the  aqueous  hu- 
mor seems  unnaturally  thick  and  dark ;  yet  they  remain  in 
the  same  condition,  growing  no  worse,  if  they  do  not  im- 
prove, during  a  whole  life-time.  But  a  horse  with  such  eyes 
is  not  perfectly  sound;  for  imperfect  vision  is  always  a  great 
defect.  He  is  especially  untrustworthy  for  the  road.  Great 
care  should  be  taken,  in  purchasing  a  horse,  to  look  well^to 
his  eyes,  and  avoid  being  imposed  upon. 

We  know  of  no  remedy  for  dimness  of  vision.  The  diffi- 
culty is  beyond  the  reach  and  skill  of  men  or  medicine. 


^'t.n.  '^f 


DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE.  183 


HOW   TO   DETECT   A   BAD   EYE. 

When  only  one  eye  is  affected,  it  will  look  smaller  than 
the  other,  the  lids  showing  a  less  opening  between  them.    But 
this  may  not  always  be  sufficiently  conspicuous  to  be  sure  of. 
The  more  certain  method  is  to  get  the  head  between  the  - 
shade  and  sunshine,  looking  out  toward  the  light.     If  there   . 
is  any  cloudiness,  the  rays  of  light  passing  through  the  eye    ' 
will  reveal  it  plainly.     A  horse  with  bad  eyes  is  always  more 
stupid  and  dumpish  than  others.     He  will  stand  with  his  eyes 
closed  much  of  the  time,  and  does  not  notice  the  approach  of 
any  object  near  so  readily  as  when  in  health.     To  a  good 
judge,  the  eye  will  not  have  the  bright,  healthy  look  that 
naturally  characterizes  it,  and  the  lids  near  the  corner  will 
appear  somewhat  dry  and  wrinkled.     The  latter  indication 
must  not  be  mistaken  for  the  wrinkles  of  old  age. 

Inflammation,  of  whatever  kind,  shows  itself,  of  course,  and 
needs  no  further  description.  It  is  only  when  it  subsides,  in 
the  periodic  clearing  up  of  moon  eyes,  that  any  one  is  in 
any  danger  of  being  deceived  and  practiced  upon.  If  you 
purpose  buying  or  trading,  the  best  way  is  to  learn  the  his- 
tory of  the  horse,  as  fully  as  possible,  for  some  years  past,  and 
should  there  be  any  suspicious  developments,  better  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  beast. 

This  subject  is*  still  further  illustrated  in  the  section  upon 
unsoundness,  in  Chapter  XXIII. 


164  AMERICA!^  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS. 
FISTULA. 

This  terrible  enemy  of  the  horse  makes  its  appearance 
upon  the  withers,  just  at  the  top  of  the  shoulder-blade — at 
first  usually  upon  only  one  side,  from  which,  however,  it 
is  very  apt  to  pass  to  the  other.  There  seems  to  be  a  great 
lack  of  popular  information  in  regard  to  it;  for,  while  all 
know  the  causes  that  ordinarily  produce  it,  and  also  its  gen- 
eral location,  few  stop  to  inquire  what  the  particular  part  is 
which  is  chiefly  affected,  or  in  precisely  what  manner  the 
disease  operates.  A  bruise  of  some  kind^is  nearly  always  its 
cause.  This  the  horse  ma}^  receive  in  various  ways;  for 
example,  by  striking  the  top  of  the  shoulders  in  passing 
through  a  low  stable-door,  by  kicks  or  bites  from  another 
animal,  by  the  pressure  of  an  illy-iitting  saddle,  or  by  roll- 
ing upon  stones  or  roots. 

A  large  tendon  or  ligament  is  situated  upon  the  top  of  the 
shoulders,  immediately  under  the  upper  portion  of  the  shoul- 
der-blade, where  it  acts  as  a  sort  of  pad  for  the  bone  to  rest 
upon,  and  thus  prevents  the  friction  of  pressure  against  the 
ribs.  Its  scientific  name  is  the  serrates  major — that  is,  the 
great  saw-shaped — but  it  is  properly  known  as  the  "  tough 
leather,"  or  whitleather."  This  ligament  reaches  over  and 
across  the  back,  and  by  a  cartilaginous  connection  is  joined 
to  the  point  of  the  vertebra,  or  back-bone.  When  injured, 
it  is  subject  to  acute  inflammation,  and  from  this  simple  fact 
result  the  whole  phenomenon  and  rationale  of  fistula. 

In  their  healthy  state,  the  fibers  which  compose  the  serrates 
major  look  very  much  like  little  strings  about  the  size  of  a 
small  knitting-needle,  but  when  inflamed  they  become  as 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  185 

large  as  a  pipe- stem.  The  tendon  continues  to  swell  until 
there  is  no  longer  room  to  contain  it  under  the  shoulder- 
blade,  when  it  is  forced  out  and  forms  a  large,  ugly  tumor. 
ISTeglect  presently  develops  a  deep  and  dangerous  abscess, 
which  finally  breaks,  and,  discharging  immense  quantities 
of  matter,  becomes  a  most  loathsome  sore,  which  runs  for 
months,  or  it  may  be  even  for  years.  From  the  constant 
infusion  of  poison  from  the  tumor,  the  blood  becomes  thick 
and  black,  the  circulation  sluggish,  and  the  pulse  very  full. 
The  horse  constantly  grows  thinner  and  weaker.  Fever  is 
wearing  his  life  away,  and  death,  at  last,  mercifully  ends  his 
sufterings. 

Sometimes  the  inflammation  extends  to  the  other  side  of 
the  shoulder,  and  caries  of  the  cartilages  and  points  of  the 
shoulder  takes  place.  The  tissues  are  destroyed,  from  which 
follows  a  sinking  away  and  dreadful  disfigurement.  These 
remain  permanent,  so  that,  even  if  the  animal  is  cured,  the 
horse-dealer  condemns  him  as  crestfallen  the  moment  he 
appears  in  sight.  Few  ever  arrive  at  this  stage,  however, 
and  fewer  still  ever  recover.  As  the  disease  was  formerly 
treated,  a  cure  was  exceedingly  difiicult,  and  the  process  was, 
at  best,  a  very  tedious  and  troublesome  one.  The  expression 
was  often  heard  that  it  was  "  worth  more  than  the  horse  to 
cure  him." 

TREATMENT. 

Two  remedies  are  recommended,  to  be  used  at  different 
stages  of  the  disease.  When  fistula  is  discovered,  and  up  to 
the  time  that  matter  begins  to  form,  the  corrosive  liniment 
will  be  found  very  effectual.  It  should  be  applied  with  a 
little  mop  every  morning,  and  if,  in  the  course  of  ten  or 
twelve  days,  the  swelling  has  not  subsided,  the  May-apple 
liniment  should  be  used,  as  prescribed  below.  The  former 
will  usually  answer  every  purpose  at  this  stage,  and,  in 
addition  to  acting  very  quickly,  has  the  advantage  of  being 
less  unpleasant  and  more  easily  employed. 

If  the  fistula  has  been  coming  on  for  a  considerable  time. 


186  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.- 

however,  or  if  the  tumor  is  so  near  maturity  that  suppura- 
tion is  inevitable,  the  May-apple  liniment  is  the  proper  re- 
course. A  thin  coating  of  this  should  be'  spread  over  the 
whole  surface  of  the  tumor  each  morning,  and  carefully 
washed  off  at  night,  after  which  any  old  grease  that  may  be 
at  hand  should  be  well  rubbed  on.  This  treatment  should 
be  continued  for  three  or  four  days,  or  until  matter  forms  in 
the  little  fissures  of  the  crusted  skin.  "When  the  pus  begins 
to  ooze  out  freely,  the  liniment  may  be  gradually  increased 
in  quantity,  and  allowed  to  remain  as  long  as  a  day  and  a 
night,  but  never  more  than  this.  At  the  end  of  another 
twenty-four  hours  it  may  again  be  applied  freely,  without 
preliminary  cleansing  of  the  surface.  It  must  always  be 
washed  off  thoroughly  before  the  grease  is  rubbed  on,  with 
a  cloth  and  warm,  strong  soap-suds. 

The  use  of  this  liniment  will  produce  effects  really  aston- 
ishing to  one  who  has  never  before  witnessed  them.  At  first 
it  occasions  a  severe  burning  and  itching,  so  that  the  horse 
will  require  careful  fastening  to  prevent  him  from  rubbing 
it"  off.  After  suppuration  has  once  fairly  begun,  however, 
he  will  stand  in  one  place  for  hours  together,  apparently  in 
the  enjoyment  of  great  relief.  The  amount  of  matter  dis- 
charged is  surprising,  often  oozing  out  from  the  enlarged 
pores  of  the  skin  in  such  abundance  as  to  run  down  the  leg 
to  the  ground,  and  stand  in  a  puddle  at  the  horse's  feet. 
When  this  stage  has  been  reached  the  crisis  is  past,  and  a 
cure  is  only  a  question  of  time.  A  few  weeks,  however,  are 
usually  sufiicient.  The  hair,  which  had  come  off,  will  grow 
out  again,  the  neck  will  not  be  crestfallen,  and  the  horse, 
without  a  scar  or  disfigurement  of  any  kind,  may  be  returned 
to  duty  hardly  a  whit  less  sound  than  ever. 

Though  requiring  time  to  carry  it  out  aright,  this  treat- 
ment will  cure  in  every  stage  of  the  disease,  but  is  pecu- 
liarly efficacious  after  matter  has  begun  to  form.  It  has 
been  known  to  accomplish  more  in  four  or  five  weeks  than 
all  other  remedies  could  bring  about  in  as  many  months. 
Its  philosophy  seems  to  be  simply  the  active  suppuration 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  187 

which  it  induces,  by  drawing  the  high  local  fever  to  the 
surface.  Two  or  three  weeks  generally  suffices  for  the  dis- 
charge of  the  matter,  the  swelling  disappearing,  meanwhile, 
with  surprising  rapidity. 

When  the  liniment  is  first  applied,  great  care  must  be 
exercised  not  to  use  it  too  freely  nor  allow  it  to  remain  too 
long  upon  the  tumor,  as  the  fever  and  irritation  which  it 
brings  on  are  sudden  and  powerful,  an-d  tend  to  punish  the 
horse  severely.  It  seems  to  scald  the  skin  upon. the  surface 
before  it  has  time  to  act  on  the  capillaries  and  penetrate 
to  the  deeper  seat  of  the  disease.  Even  when  properly 
used,  the  horse  gives  evidence  of  considerable  suffering  for 
a  few  days,  but  this  will  be  relieved  at  once  when  suppura- 
tion actively  sets  in. 

A  few  cases  of  failure  with  this  remedy  are  to  be  recorded, 
but  it  is  believed  that  they  are  all  justly  chargeable  to  an 
improper  use  of  the  May-apple  liniment.  In  obstinate  cases 
an  alternation  of  that  application  with  the  corrosive  liniment, 
each  employed  for  two  or  three  days  at  a  time,  will  prove  very 
beneficial.  Bleeding  is  indispensable.  Fever  is  raging  in  the 
system,. and  the  blood,  poisoned  by  virus  from  the  fistula,  is 
thick  and  sluggish.  Its  character  must  be  changed  by  quick, 
active,  and  powerful  alteratives,  and  its  quantity  lessened  by 
copious  bleeding  from  the  neck-vein.  A  gallon  of  blood  may 
be  taken  away  the  first  time,  and  half  that  amount  again  six 
days  later.  After  this,  sulphur  and  green  feed,  with  the  ordi- 
nary treatment,  will  be  sufficient.  « 

REMARKABLE   CASES. 

The  history  of  a  few  remarkable  cases,  in  which  fistula 
was  successfully  treated  by  the  remedies  here  recommended, 
can  scarcely  fail  to  interest  all  concerned  in  the  care  of 
horses,  and  who  may,  at  any  time,  be  called  upon  to  combat 
this  formidable  disease.  They  all  occurred  in  the  author's 
own  practice  during  the  years  from  1847  to  1851. 

A  valuable  young  mare,  belonging  to  Mr.  Job  Hicks,  of 
Gibson  County,  Tenn.,  had  been  suffering  from  a  large  fistula 


188  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

on  the  left  shoulder  for  about  eighteen  months.  The  ulcei 
had  been  eaten  out  with  arsenic  some  time  before,  and  a 
quantity  of  matter  discharged,  but  it  had  now  ceased  run- 
ning altogether,  and  was  terribly  swollen  and  inflamed.  In 
the  crown  of  the  tumor  was  an  indentation  half  as  large  as 
a  tea-cup.  The  mare  was  quite  thin  in  flesh,  and  in  every 
way  her  condition  was  bad,  with  a  high  fever,  a  hard  pulse, 
and  the  hair  dry  and  bristling.  This  was  a  case  peculiarly 
adapted  to  test  the  May-apple  liniment,  which  was  used 
faithfully,  and  accompanied  with  such  other  treatment  as  the 
condition"  of  the  patient  required.  In  six  weeks  the  tumor 
was  gone,  and  all  that  remained  was  a  small  sore.  The  cure 
was  perfect,  and,  except  a  t/'ifling  scar,  marking  the  site  of 
the  indentation  above-mentioned,  every  trace  of  the  disease 
was  removed. 

In  the  same  neighborhood  was  an  old  mare,  the  property 
of  Mr.  Joseph  Sharp,  with  a  fistula  on  both  sides.  It  had 
been  eaten  out  with  arsenic — twice  upon  one  side,  and  once 
on  the  other — and  the  shoulders,  still  very  much  swollen, 
were  dreadfully  mangled,  exhibiting  great  dish-like  indenta- 
tions where  the  poison  had  completely  destroyed  the  tissues. 
This  case,  having  been  on  hand  three  years,  proved  obstinate 
in  the  extreme.  Six  months  were  required  to  effect  a  cure, 
yet  it:  was  accomplished  at  last,  and  no  recurrence  of  the 
disease  ever  followed. 

The  next  case  to  be  mentioned  was  badly  managed.  Mr. 
J.  P.  James  had  a  fine  young  horse,  with  an  unusually  large 
*  fistula  on  the  very  top  of  the  shoulder,  and  extending  nearly 
equally  on  both  sides.  Matter  had  not  begun  to  collect,  and 
the  fever  was  terrible.  The  May-apple  liniment  was  left,  with 
full  directions,  but  being  allowed  to  remain  on  the  tumor  for 
forty-eight  hours  at  once,  a  thick  crust  was  formed,  which 
soon  peeled  off,  exposing  a  hard,  tough,  glazed  surface,  upon 
^hich  subsequent  applications  seemed  to  have  no  effect  what- 
ever. At  that  period,  1848,  the  corrosive  liniment  had  not 
come  into  use,  and  it  was  only  after  five  months  of  almost 
unremitting  attention  that  the  sore  was  finally  healed.     A 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS,  189 

large  spot  remained,  however,  on  which  the  hair  never  grew 
out  again. 

A  fourth  example  will  exhaust  the  space  which  can  he 
given  this  subject.  A  horse  five  years  old,  belonging  to  Mr. 
Robert  Ferguson,  of  Cageville,  Haywood  County,  Tenn. — 
at  which  place  the  writer  then  resided — was  afflicted  with 
an  enormously  large  fistula.  The  Maj-apple  liniment  was 
applied  cautiously,  in  the  manner  prescribed  in  the  foregoing 
pages,  and  with  such  happy  results  that  in  ten  days  the  tumor 
had  entirely  disappeared.  In  this  instance  treatment  began 
within  three  weeks  after  the  swelling  was  first  noticed. 

FORMER  MODES   OP   TREATMENT. 

Fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago  there  were  always  to  be  found 
one  or  more  cases  of  fistula  upon  nearly  every  plantation  in 
Tennessee.  In  many  instances  the  sufferer  received  no  atten- 
tion whatever,  or  was  given  away  at  once  as  worthless.  Com- 
paratively few  planters  were  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  keeping 
a  horse  or  a  mule  thus  afflicted  for  months,  or,  perhaps,  years, 
and  meanwhile  to-  undergo  the  constant  and  excessively  disa- 
greeable labor  of  doctoring  him  according  to  the  barbarous 
practices  of  the  times,  only  to  have  three  chances  out  of  five 
of  losing  him  at  last.  At  best,  it  was  poor  pay  for  hard 
work ;  for,*  even  when  cured,  the  horse  remained  greatly 
disfigured,  with  shoulders  crestfallen  and  the  neck  always 
stiff. 

Arsenic  was  the  specific  generally  relied  upon.  A  deep 
gash  v/as  cut  in  the  crown  of  the  tumor,  into  which  the 
arsenic  was  blown  by  means  of  a  quill,  when  it  was  closed. 
The  poison,  .readily  taken  up  by  the  absorbents,  soon  affected 
not  only  the  fistula,  but  also  the  neighboring  tendons  and 
muscles,  forming  an  abscess,  from  which  resulted,  in  the 
course  of  two  or  three  months,  a  disgusting,  running  sore. 
Immense  quantities  of  foul  matter  poured  forth ;  the  poison, 
far  infused,  ate  away  in  all  directions,  and  tendons,  cartilages, 
and  sometimes  even  bones,  were  utterly  destroyed ;  it  pene- 
trated to  the  vertebra,  the  crown  or  point  of  which   (the 


^Mr. 


WO  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

dorsal  vertebra)  crumbled  away,  and  the  skin  sunk  to  the 
main  bone  of  the  back,  leaving  a  hollow  from  four  to  six 
inches  deep.  As  far  as  the  poison  spread,  its  ravages  went 
on.  At  length  its  force  was  spent,  the  abscess  closed,  and 
the  horse,  with  all  his  unsightly  deformities,  and  often  with 
much  impaired  vigor,  was  returned  to  service.  If  any  ani- 
mal outlived  the  months  or  years  of  torture  which  this  process 
occupied,  it  was  because  his  vital  energies  were  equal  to 
almost  any  task  which  the  heedless  ignorance  of  man  could 
impose  upon  them. 

Yet  this  picture,  horrible  as  it  is,  fails  to  present  in  full 
the  awful  consequences  of  this  murderous  system  in  many 
instances.  The  author  has  seen  the  whole  line  known  as 
"  tlie  comb  of  the  back-bone "  so  much  eaten  away  that 
the  vertebra  points  were  exposed  to  full  view,  the  sickening 
discharge  of  pus  and  blood,  meanwhile,  completing  a  spec- 
tacle almost  incredible.  Sometimes  even  the  top  of  the 
blade  and  of  the  shoulder-bone  became  visible,  and  not  un- 
frequently  the  fly- worm  concluded  the  barbarous  tragedy  in 
the  most  revolting  manner. 

Among  other  common  methods  of  treating  fistula  were 
such  as  burning  with  a  hot  iron,  scalding  with  the  horn 
and  hot  mush  of  ashes,  and  running  a  small  sharp-pointed 
iron,  red-hot,  entirely  through  the  tumor ;  also,  p'utting  polk- 
root  or  corrosive  sublimate  into  the  swelling,  with  results 
nearly  similar  to  those  following  the  use  of  arsenic. 

It  is  impossible  to  recall  these  recollections  without  emo- 
tions of  inexpressible  horror  and  detestation;  while,  upon  the 
other  hand,  humanity  must  rejoice  that  a  dispensation  of  such 
ignorance  and  cruelty  has  given  place  to  an  age  of  more 
enlightened  and  generous  views  concerning  the  needs  and 
proper  care  of  that  noblest  servant  of  man,  the  horse. 

POLL-EVIL. 

This  is  a  tumor,  that  comes  on  the  head,  or,  more  properly, 
upon  the  extreme  forward  part  of  the  neck,  just  back  of  the 


k 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  191 

ears.  At  this  point  the  bones  of  the  cranium  connect  with 
those  of  the  neck,  or  cervical  vertebrae.  They  are  held  by- 
very  strong  cartilages,  upon  both  sides  of  the  neck,  but  still 
more  firmly  by  the  remarkable  tendon,  or  muscle,  on  top, 
called  the  serratus  minor,  (See  section  on  the  muscles  and 
tendons,  and  also  /,  in  sectional  view  of  the  head,  in  Chap- 
ter II.)  By  these  means  the  head  is  supported  and  kept 
steady,  and  moved  in  nearly  all  directions  with  great  facil- 
ity. From  the  appearance  of  the  tumor  nearly  upon  that 
part  of  the  head  called  the  "poll,"  the  term  "poll-e.v^"  is 
used  to  describe  this  affection.  A  better  one  would  be  poll 
or  head  fistula;  for  the  causes  and  symptoms  of  this  pain- 
ful disease  are  precisely  similar  to  those  of  fistula  upon  the 
withers. 

Between  the  serratus  minor  and  the  serratus  major — the 
different  parts  of  the  whiileather,  described  in  the'  last  sec- 
tion— there  is  naturally  a  most  intimate  connection  and  sym- 
pathy. It  is  almost  impossible  that  one  should  be  injured 
without  the  other  having  a  share  in  the  suffering  produced ; 
and  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  cases  of  poll  evil,  not  unfre- 
quently,  can  be  traced  to  no  known  cause,  except  sympathetic 
connection  with  fistulous  withers. 

When  the  horse  is  in  sound  health,  an  ordinary  bruise  on 
the  poll  generally  produces  no  serious  results ;  but  if  the  parts 
are  in  a  feverish  state,,  a  slight  blow  may  be  followed  by  what 
is  indeed  an  eml.  Kext  to  the  shoulders  and  joints  of  the 
limbs,  there  is  no  portion  of  the  horse's  frame  so  severely 
taxed,  during  the  animal's  motion,  as  the  muscles  and  ten- 
dons of  this  region. 

It  is  an  exceedingly  tender  and  sensitive  point,  and  a  blow 
from  a  careless  or  enraged  attendant,  may  occasion  grave  con- 
sequences. If  nothing  worse  happens,  a  knot,  or  lump,  of 
considerable  size,  is  pretty  sure  to  betray  the  violence  which 
has  been  employed,  and  will  remain  for  some  time.  Such 
treatment  may  cause  instant  death.  The  author  once  saw 
an  infuriated  driver  strike  a  large  horse,  with  a  club,  on  this 


192  AMEKICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

part  of  the  neck.     The  animal  fell  dead  at  his  feet.     The 
great  spinal  nerve  was  undoubtedly  broken. 

Poll-evil  does  not  often  so  seriously  affect  the  general 
health  of  the  horse  as  does  fistula,  being  further  removed 
from  those < great  vital  organs,  the  lungs  and  heart;  yet  it 
is  marked  by  great  suffering,  which  the  least  observant  spec- 
tator can  not  help  perceiving. 

TREATMENT. 

Follow  the  same  directions  as  those  given  in  the  last  sec- 
tion for  fistula.  Before  matter  has  formed,  use  the  corrosive 
liniment;  after  that  period,  the  May-apple  liniment.  The 
difficulties  attending  the  treatment  of  this  disease  are  the 
same  as  those  accompanying  cases  of  fistula,  and  the  same 
barbarous  means  were  formerly  employed  for  its  cure. 

BOa  AND   BLOOD   SPAVIN. 

Bog  spavin  has  its  location  in  the  membrane  investing  the 
hock-joint,  and  in  the  little  oil-sacks  so  plentifully  supplied 
to  this  part  of  the  horse's  frame.  Although  at  the  expense 
of  some  repetition  of  what  has  been  said  in  Chapter  III,  when 
treating  of  bone  spavin,  it  will  be  befet  to  consider  the  struct- 
ure of  the  joint,  and  the  uses  of  these  little  oil-sacks,  before 
proceeding  further. 

The  various  joints  of  the  body  which  are  most  in  use  and 
have  the  greatest  degree  of  motion  are  furnishe4  with  large, 
strong  tendons,  as  they  obviously  need  to  be.  Attached  to 
the  extremities  of  the  tendons,  and  between  them  and  the 
bones,  as  also  between  the  tendons  themselves,  are  little  bags, 
or  sacks,  containing  an  oily,  mucous  secretion,  whose  office  it 
is  to  prevent  friction  when  the  parts  are  in  rapid  motion,  or 
are  otherwise  severely  strained.  The  tendons  upon  the  inside 
of  the  hock,  at  the  head  of  the  inner  splint-bone,  and  uniting 
the  metatarsals  (see  45  and  46,  in  cut  on  page  24)  with  the 
tibia  (see  38  in  same  cut),  are  of  unusual  size  and  strength,  in 
order  to  perform  the  severe  labor  to  which  they  are  subjected. 
It  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  here  the  oil-sacks  should  be 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  19'i 

larger  and  more  numerous  than  elsewhere,  as  here  exists 
greater  liabilitj  to  friction  than  in  any  other  joint  in  the 
whole  body.     Such  we  find  to  be  the  case. 

Violent  exercise,  unusual  strains,  and  blows  are  liable  to 
injure  these  sacks  and  cause  them  to  enlarge.  More  fre- 
quently, however,  they  are  ruptured,  when  their  contents  es- 
cape and  form  a  putfy  swelling  under  the  skin  and  cellular 
tissues.  To  such  accidents,  those  surrounding  the  hock-joint 
are  peculiarlj^  exposed;  and,  from  their  number  and  size  at 
this  spot,  the  consequences  are  at  once  more  noticeable,  and 
really  much  more  serious  than  when  the  same  things  occur 
in  other  places. 

The  oily,  mucous  secretions  continue  as  before ;  or,  rather, 
they  are  increased  in  quantity,  from  the  effort  which  ITature 
makes  to  repair  damages  and  supply  the  deficiency  in  the  lu- 
bricating material  furnished  the  joint.  But  in  this  case  ITa- 
ture  fails  ;  for  the  oil-sacks  never  heal.  There  is  a  constant 
accumulation  of  the  synovial  fluid,  and  as  constant  a  discharge 
into  the  spavin-bag,  as  it  may  be  termed,  under  the  skin. 
The  enlargement  increases  to  an  extent  and  with  a  rapidity 
proportioned  to  the  size  and  number  of  the  oil-sacks  which 
have  been  ruptured.  Sometimes  the  swelling  makes  surpris- 
ingly rapid  progress,  and  in  a  short  time  encircles  the  entire 
joint.  It  always  disfigures  the  horse  very  much,  and  has 
been  known  to  grow  as  large  as  a  man^s  head.  In  such  cases 
the  joint  becomes  so  stiff'  as  to  be  nearly  useless,*the  play  of 
tendons  and  muscles  being  prevented  almost  entirely. 

"When  a  small  vein  is  broken,  and  the  blood  mingles  with 
the  contents  of  the  spavin-sack,  the  enlargement  is  called 
blood  spavin.  This  is  the  only  point  in  which  this  disease 
differs  from  ordinary  bog  spavin. 

Lameness  is  not  always  a  consequence  of  these  kinds  of 
spavin,  and  especially  when  the  swelling  is  small,  except 
in  cases  where  the  horse  is  very  hard  worked;  and  while 
they  unquestionably  constitute  a  form  of  unsoundness,  a 
horse  thus  afflicted  may  do  very  well  for  ordinary  service. 
He  may  work  before  the  plow,  or  be  hitched  to  a  wagon  or 
13  • 


194  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

to  a  carriage,  when  slow  motion  only  is  required ;  but  he  will 
never  do  for  rapid  movement.  Moderate  exercise  will  not 
materially  aggravate  the  disease.  It  will  cause  but  little  if 
any  enlargement  of  the  spavin-sack,  and  will  not  perma- 
nently increase  the  lameness. 

TRBATMENT. 

Sometimes  a  local  application  of  the  corrosive  liniment 
will  prove  beneficial  in  checking  the  accumulation  of  the  oily 
fluid,  and  thus  prevent  the  swelling  from  increasing.  The 
spavin-sack,  if  very  small,  or  in  the  first  stages  of  the  disease, 
may  occasionalTy  be  dried  up  entirely,  by  the  same  means. 
The  remedy  is  worth  a  trial.  IN'ot  much  confidence,  however, 
can  be  placed  in  any  course  of  treatment.  The  difiSculty 
arises  from  the  fact  that  the  oil-sacks  lie  so  deep,  and  are  sur- 
rounded so  closely  by  tendons,  that  no  external  application 
seems  to  reach  them  directly.  As  the  disease  does  not  en- 
tirely impair  the  animal's  usefulness,  and  does  not  affect  his 
general  health,  it  will  rest  entirely  with  the  intelligent  owner 
whether  to  attempt  a  cure  or  not,  with  the  probability  of  a 
failure. 

The  old  and  absurd  practice  of  tapping  the  spavin-sack, 
which  is  thus  transformed  into  a  constantly-running  and  in- 
curable sore,  must  be  discountenance^l  by  every  well-informed 
person.  We  trust  none  of  our  readers  will  resort  to  it  in 
any  case.  Better  do  nothing  than  be  guilty  of  such  folly.  If 
^  the  corrosive  liniment  does  not  effect  a  cure,  no  other  remedy 
need  be  applied. 

WIND-GALLS. 

The  little  oil- sacks  already  described  are  most  abundant 
about  the  hock,  the  ankle,  and  the  knee,  but  are  by  no  means 
confined  to  these  localities;  next  to  which  they  are  most  nu- 
merous on  the  legs,  below  the  knee  and  hock,  and  also  upon 
the  ankles.  When  those  which  are  situated  on  the  parts  last 
named  become  ruptured,  the  swelling  which  results  from  the 
effusion  of  their  contents  under  the  skin,  is  called  a  wind-galL 


I 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  195 

This  singularly  inappropriate  name  had  its  origin  in  the  fool- 
ish notion  of  the  farriers,  in  former  times,  that  the  swelling 
was  filled  with  air. 

In  their  nature  and  causes,  wind-galls  are  thus  seen  to  be 
the  same  disorder  as  spavin.  But  the  oil-sacks  which  are 
injured  in  the  former,  are  neither  so  large  nor  so  numerous  as 
in  spavin ;  and,  more  than  this,  such  irritation  and  inflamma- 
tion as  is  constantly  kept  up  at  the  joint  by  the  movements 
of  the  limbs,  scarcely  affect  the  parts  where  wind-galls  ap- 
pear. Hence  the  latter  never  become  at  all  serious  affairs, 
and  seldom  impede  motion  in  the  least  degree.  They  may 
possibly  disfigure  the  limbs  somewhat,  and  are  often  evidences 
of  hard  usage  and  bad  treatment ;  but,  for  every  essential  pur- 
pose, the  horse  is  as  good  as  before.  When  there  are  several 
of  them,  or  if  they  become  unusually  large,  it  is  generally  an 
indication  that  the  animal  lacks  suppleness  of  joint  and  limb, 
and  will  move  heavily.  Even  in  this  case,  however,  he  will 
do  as  well  in  the  plow  or  wagon  as  ever  he  could. 

As  we  have  intimated,  wind-galls  are  caused  by  either  a 
bruise  or  a  very  severe  strain — ^most  commonly  the  former. 
Such  a  degree  of  compression  by  the  tendons  as  must  be 
necessary  to  crush  and  burst  open  any  of  the  oil-sacks,  can 
only  result  from  a  most  terrible  strain ;  and  yet  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  it  is  not  unfrequently  produced.  It  is  easy 
to  see  that  a  comparatively  light  blow,  directly  upon  the 
point  where  the  sack  is  situated,  resting  upon  the  bone  or 
a  firm,  unyielding  tendon,  may  readily  do  the  mischief.  An 
egg,  when  the  ends  are  placed  between  the  palms  of  the 
hands,  will  bear  a  pressure  of  fifty  pounds,  yet  a  faint  blow 
will  break  the  shell.  So  with  the  little  oil-sack ;  and  hardly 
a  day  passes  in  which  the  legs  of  the  horse  do  not  receive 
blows,  which,  if  they  fall  upon  the  exact  spot,  are  sufficient 
to  do  the  injury.  - 

TREATMENT. 

Wind-galls  are  never  removed  without  great  difficulty, 
and  often  they  defy  the  most  persevering  treatment.    There 


196  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

is  but  one  way  of  exterminating  them,  and  that  is  by  burn 
ing  the  enlargement  to  a  crisp  with  a  red-hot  iron.     Thib 
will  be  likely  to  dry  up  the  water  in  them,  and  seal  the 
fountains  which  supply  it,  and  sometimes  proves  an  effectual 
cure. 

The  old  farriers  always  pursued  this  course ;  but  it  is  at- 
tended with  great  danger.  The  burning  often  induces  an 
inflammation  that  eventually  ruins  the  horse,  especially  when 
the  swelling  is  near  the  joint.  "When  inflammation  from  this 
cause  is  once  fairly  established,  it  generally  terminates  in  an 
incurable  ulcer.  The  morbid  secretions  and  the  disorganiza- 
tion of  the  tissues,  which  characterize  this  condition,  no 
remedy  seems  sufficiently  powerful  to  correct.  Kor  is  this 
the  only  danger  attending  the  operation  of  burning.  When 
the  hot  iron  is  applied  to  bunches  on  or  near  the  joint,  the 
inflammation,  which  nearly  always  follows,  is  apt  to  prove  of 
unusual  severity,  and  the  joint  will  become  so  badly  stiffened 
that  its  use  will  be  destroyed  forever  afterward.  We  can 
not  advise  this  mode  of  treatment.  Its  extreme  cruelty, 
coupled  with  the  risk  of  ruining  the  horse  for  life,  is  more 
than  sufficient  to  condemn  it  entirely. 

Some  ignorant  persons  have  tapped  wind-galls  "  to  let  out 
the  wind,"  and  have  been  very  much  surprised  to  find  a 
somewhat  thick,  yellowish  fluid,  exuding  from  the  puncture, 
instead  of  air,  and,  to  their  still  greater  amazement,  have 
found  that  they  have  opened  a  fountain  which  they  were 
powerless  to  Close.  ^NTor  were  these  all  their  troubles.  Sore- 
ness and  inflammation  have  set  in,  and  grown  worse  from 
day  to  day,  and  week  to  week.  Very  often  they  have  learned, 
when  too  late,  that  they  unwittingly  ruined  a  valuable  horse. 
In  many  instances,  a  large,  ulcerous  sore  remains,  which  the 
practitioner's  utmost  skill  can  not  heal  over. 

The  only  remedy  that  we  can  recommend  is  the  corrosive 
liniment,  applied  once  a  day  for  four  or  five  days,  and  then 
omitted  for  the  same  length  of  time,  and  so  continued  to 
be  used  as  long  as  necessary.  The  liniment  should  be  well 
shaken  before  using,  then  appliied  with  a  little  mop,  and  well 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  197 

dried  in  with  a  hot  iron.  This  will  frequently  remove  wind- 
galls,  but  not  always.  If  the  abscess  containing  the  water 
is  next  to  the  skin,  they  can  be  cured  without  much  diffi- 
culty; but  when  it  is  under  the  cellular  membrane  below 
the  skin,  as  it  more  frequently  is,  external  applications  will 
not  penetrate  to  them. 

It  will  hardly  be  worth  the  pains  to  attempt  the  removal 
of  wind-galls,  unless  there  is  inflammation  and  lameness; 
in  which  case  the  liniment  will  take  away  the  soreness,  and 
should  be  applied  at  once. 

CURB. 

This  is  the  name  given  an  enlargement  whi?ch  sometimes 
occurs  on  the  back  of  the  leg,  and  a  short  distance  below 
the  hock.  It  is  produced  by  a  strain  of  the  strong  ligaments 
which  are  found  at  this  part  of  the  leg,  or,  perhaps,  still  more 
frequently,  by  a  hard  blow.  In  the  former  case,  it  makes 
its  appearance  after  unusually  severe  exercise  of  some  kind. 
The  nature  of  the  injury  is  very  -similar  to  that  of  enlarged 
hock,  described  in  Chapter  III. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  will  be  rest,  and  a  persevering  use  of  the 
corrosive  liniment,  as  directed  for  enlarged  hock.  The  horse 
will  be  badly  lamed  by  curb,  and  must  be  put  to  work  again 
with  caution. 

THOROUGH-Pm. 

Another  watery  enlargement  that  comes  .on  the  back  part 
of  the  hock-joint,  inside  of  the  os  calcis,  (see  39,  in  cut  on 
page  24,)  has  received  the  name  of  thorough-pin.  It  extends 
entirely  through  the  connecting  membrane  from  side  to  side, 
and  hence  the  lirst  part  of  the  name.  But  what  resemblance 
it  bears  to  a  pin  4s  by  no  means  apparent. 

TREATMENT. 

Thorough-pin  is  of  precisely  the  same  nature  as  wind-galls 
and  spavin,  and  will  require  the  same  general  treatment. 


1^ 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 
TETANUS,   OR  LOCK-JAW. 


A.  CASE  OF  TETANUS. 

With  singular  fidelity,  the  artist  has  here  depicted  a  case 
of  tetanus  in  the  horse.  Our  readers  will  be  well  repaid  for 
a  careful  study  of  this  engraving.  The  points  to  be  partic- 
ularly noticed  are  the  rigidity  of  the  muscles,  and  the  stiff- 
ness of  the  joints;  the  protrusion  of  the  muzzle;  the  immo- 
bility of  the  ears ;  the  dilatation  of  the  nostrils,  with  little 
or  no  play;  the  eye  deeply  withdrawn  in  the  socket;  the 
haggard,  horror-struck  expression  of  the  countenance;  the 
tucking  up  of  the  belly  from  the  extreme  contraction  of  the 
abdominal  muscles  and  diaphragm;  and  the  straddling  pos- 
ture of  the  legs. 

Tetanus  is  one  of  the  most  dreadful  of  all  the  diseases 
which  attack  the  horse.  Fortunately,  it  is  pf  comparatively 
rare  occurrence  in  our  country,  as  is  proven  by  the  fact  that 
thousands  of  persons,  familiar  with  horses  all  their  lives, 
have  never  seen  a  single  case  of  it.  In  some  European 
countries  it  has  prevailed  to  a  much  greater  extent,  and  has 
engrossed  a  large  share  of  the  veterinary  surgeon's  attention. 

The  disease  undoubtedly  results  from  the  lesion  of  some 
functional  nerve,  producing,  more  or  less  rapidly,  extreme 
irritability  of  the  entire  nervous  system,  and  terminating  in 
fearful  contractions  and  spasms  of  all  the  muscles  in  the 


J 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  199 

body.  The  trouble  originates,  not  in  a  nerve  severed,  but  a 
nerve  injured — bruised,  lacerated,  or  torn.  When  a  nerve 
is  divided  by  a  common,  "  clean "  cut,  its  action  is  entirely 
suspended,  and,  bye  and  bye,  the  parts  heal  over  as  naturally 
as  ever.  This  takes  place  in  all  ordinary  incised  wounds, 
without  producing  any  serious  consequences.  But  when  the 
nerve  is  torn  or  bruised,  its  action  is  increased;  it  becomes 
irritated  and  inflamed;  and  then,  should  there  happen  to  be 
any  predisposition  to  fever  lurking  in  the  system,  there  is 
great  danger  that  tetanus  will  conclude  the  history  of  the 
case.  We  are  well  satisfied  that  scarcely  any  possible  injury 
of  the  nerves  will  occasion  lock-jaw  when  the  general  condi- 
tion of  the  animal  is  that  of  sound  health  and  entire  free- 
dom from  fever. 

Let  any  horse,  however,  be  exposed,  and  take  .cold,  after 
an  injury  of  one  of  the  nerves,  such  as  we  have  mentioned, 
and  tetanus  could  not  be  courted  more  effectually.  Of 
course,  some  degree  of  inflammation  must  follow  the  sever- 
ing or  wounding  of  a  nerve  in  any  case ;  but  if  J^ature  had 
nothing  more  than  this  to  overcome,  with  all  the  vital  forces 
in  perfectly  healthful  action,  the  trouble  would  very  soon  be 
over.  If  the  inflammation,  on  the  other  hand,  finds  a  co- 
operative agency  ready  to  extend  and  aggravate  it,  as  it 
does  when  the  blood  is  in  a  feverish  state,  it  is  carried  rap- 
idly along  the  nervous  pathway  to  the  great  sensorium  of  the 
body,  the  brain.  From  this  it  reacts  in  a  terrible  spasmodic 
action,  in  which  the  tension  of  the  muscles  and  tendons,  in 
every  part  and'*organ  of  the  body,  is  so  fearfully  great  that 
the  horse  dies  at  last,  exhausted  by  hard  work.  During  the 
progress  of  the  disease,  not  only  are  the  muscles  and  ten- 
dons more  and  more  contracted,  but  the  skin  becomes  tighter, 
the  joints  more  stiffened,  the  breathing  still  more  labored, 
and  the  power  of  motion  less  and  less,  until,  finally,  the  poor 
sufferer  falls  to  the  ground,  to  rise  no  more. 

The  symptoms  of  tetanus  are  usually  very  obscure  at  the 
beginning.  Were  they  recognized  at  the  outset,  there  would* 
seldom  be  any  great  difficulty  in  applying  effectual  treat- 


200  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

ment;  but,  unfortunately,  they  are  apt  to  be  overlooked, 
until  the  disease  is  so  firmly  rooted  that  remedies  either  can 
not  be  used  at  all,  or  utterly  fail  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
case.  The  disease  first  exhibits  itself  in  the  jaws,  but  soon 
extends  to  every  part  of  the  body.  Its  popular  name  by 
no  means  expresses  all  that  it  really  is.  It  is  no  more  an 
affection  of  the  jav^s  than  it  is  of  the  head,  the  back,  or  the 
legs. 

In  studying  the  character  and  developments  of  this  malady, 
we  have  been  glad  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  observations  and 
researches  of  others,  especially  of  recognized  authorities  in 
veterinary  science  in  Europe,  where  it  has  challenged  the 
practitioner's  skill  so  much  more  than  in  this  country.  That 
excellent  writer  upon  the  horse,  Mr.  Youatt,  says : 

"  Tetanus  is  evidently  an  affection  of  the  nerves.  A  small 
fiber  of  some  nerve  has  been  injured,  and  the  effect  of  that 
injury  has  spread  to  the  origin  of-  the  nerve ;  the  brain  then 
becomes  affected,  and  universal  diseased  action  follows.  Te- 
tanus is  spasm  of  the  whole  frame,  not  merely  of  one  set  of 
muscles,  but  of  their  antagonists  also.  *  *  *  Tetanus  is 
usually  the  result  of  the  injury  of  some  nervous  fiber,  and 
the  effect  of  that  lesion  propagated  to  the  brain.*  The  foot 
is  the  inost  frequent  source,  or  focus,  of  tetanic  injury.  It 
has  been  pricked  in  shoeing,  or.  wounded  by  something  on 
the  road.  The  horse  becomes  lame;  the  injury  is  carelessly 
treated,  or  not  treated  at  all;  the  lameness,  however,  dis- 
appears, but  the  wound  has  not  healed.  There  is  an  un- 
healthiness  about  it,  and,  at  the  expiration  of  eight  or  ten 
days,  tetanus  appears.  Some  nervous  fiber  has  been  irritated 
or  inflamed  by  the  accident,  slight  as  it  was.". 

In  this  country,  lock-jaw  generally  proves  fatal,  not  only 
from  neglect  in  treating  it  until  too  late,  but  sometimes  from 
the  actual  starvatioti  of  its  victim.  The  owner  seldom  seems 
to  consider  that  the  poor  animal  needs  food  quite  as  much 
as  when  in  health,  or,  perhaps,  even  more  than  at  that  time. 
Disease  and  the  most  exhausting  form  of  muscular  action 
are  rapidly  consuming  his  strength,  while  the  stomach  and 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  201 

other  digestive  organs  are  but  little  affected.  In  all  proba- 
bility many  horses  die  from  tetanus  that  might  be  saved  if, 
in  connection  with  the  treatment  pursued,  some  nutritious 
food  corild  be  introduced  into  his  stomach.  A  horse  with 
lock-jaw  will  manifest  the  strongest  symptoms  of  hunger, 
and  should  be  fed  every  two  or  three  hours  at  least.  This 
may  be  done  by  placing  before  him  a  tub  or  bucket  of  thick 
meal  gruel.  He  will  at  once  try  to  suck  some  of  it  into  his 
mouth,  and  will  actually  swallow  a  little  of  it,  from  time  to 
time.  There  will  be  no  harm  in  keeping  it  before  him  con- 
stantly, if  he  seems  to  desire  it. 

TREATMENT. 

Bleed  freely  from  the  neck  vein ;  it  is"  the  only  hope  in  a 
case  of  tetanus.  The  blood-vessels  and  nerves  are  distrib- 
uted throughout  the  body  side  by  side,  and  closely  sympa- 
thize with  each  other.  The  blood  must  be  depleted,  and  to 
do  this  is  to  relax  the  nerves,  and  also  the  muscles  through 
which  the  nerves  ramify. 

Let  the  blood  continue  to  flow  as  long  as  the  horse  can 
bear  it.  It  is  useless  to  hope  for  a  cure  if  this  essential  part 
of  the  treatment  is  not  properly  attended  to.  In  most  cases, 
it  will  be  best  to  open  the  vein,  and  let  the  blood  run  until 
the  pulse  grows  perceptibly  fainter ;  then  to  remove  the  finger 
or  the  cord  from  the  neck  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  or 
until  the  pulse  rises  and  the  vein  becomes  full.  Now  let 
the  blood  flow  a  second  time  as  long  as  at  first.  This  may 
be  repeated  three  or  four  times,  when  the  jaws  and  the 
muscles  generally  will  begin  to  relax.  At  first  the  blood  is 
thick,  and  its  feeble  stream  is  drawn  chiefly  from  the  im- 
mediate region  of  the  brain,,  while  the  vessels  of  the  extremi- 
ties react  but  slowly.  They  are  allowed  time  for  this,  how- 
ever, by  these  temporary  suspensions  of  the  arterial  flow ;  and 
there  is  another  great  a-dvantage  in  following  this  course, 
from  the  fact  that  it  prevents  drawing  away  so  much  blood 
from  the  vein  as  to  overpower  the  vital  energies  of  the  horse. 
If  the  blood  is  allowed  to  run  without  any  intermission  until 


\ 

202  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

he  falls,  there  is  great  danger  that,  with  his  stiffened  limhs 
and  set  joints,  he  will  never  rise  again.  The  method  of 
hleedinff  which  we  recommend  obviates  the  difficulties  which 
attend  the  ordinary  course,  as  it  relaxes  the  system,  while  the 
action  of  the  vital  forces  remains  uninterrupted. 

The  nerves  must  now  be  tranquilized  by  powerful  opiates, 
and  further  relaxation  effected  by  the  use  of  physics.  A 
half  gill  of  laudanum  is  not  a  large  dose  in  this  case.  Mix 
this  with  half  a  pound  of  salts,  dissolved  in  a  pint  of  warm 
water.  N'ext,  get  a  horn,  open  at  both  ends,  and,  inserting 
the  small  end  into  the  horse's  mouth,  between  the  front  and 
back  teeth,  turn  the  mixture  very  slowly  down  his  throat. 
At  the  end  of  six  hours,  give  half  of  the  above  dose  of  salts 
in  the  same  way.  Use  every  exertion  to  secure  an  operation 
of  the  bowels  as  soon  as  possible.  Give  one  quart  of  corn- 
meal  gruel,  as  a  clyster,  every  five  or  six  hours.  This  will 
also  afford  nearly  as  much  nutriment  to  the  system  as  if  it 
were  received  into  the  stomach.  Keep  a  soft  bran-mash  or 
thick  meal  gruel  before  him,  as  before  directed. 

Treatment  of  another  character  should  next  be  applied. 
Put  a  pint  of  spirits  of  camphor  and  half  a  gill  of  tobacco- 
juice  in  a  gallon  of  warm  water,  and  in  this  boil  a  peck  of 
oats  or  coarse  bran.  Have  them  in  a  bag,  so  that  they  will 
be  loose,  and,  after  boiling  for  fifteen  minutes,  apply  the  bag 
to  the  horse's  throat,  as  hot  as  he  can  bear  it.  Fasten  it  on 
over  the  top  of  the  head,  so  that  he  can  not  get  it  off,  or, 
if  necessary,  his  head  may  be  tied.  At  the  same  time  spread 
a  good,  large  blanket  or  quilt  over  him,  and  fasten  it.  This 
course  will  generally  throw  the  horse  into  a  fine  perspira- 
tion, which  will  be  one  great  point  gained.  Change  the 
poultice  every  six  hours  for  two  days,  and  continue  to  keep 
him  well  covered  with  the  blanket  or  quilt. 

If  these  directions  are  faithfully  carried  out,  the  horse  will 
probably  recover,  unless  he  is  suffered  to  starve  to  death.  A 
cure  is  quite  easy  if  the  disease  be  attacked  at  an  early 
stage. 

We  may  add  another  simple  method  of  treating  tetanus, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  203 

without  vouching  for  its  effectiveness,  as  we  never  had  an 
opportunity  of  testing  it.  It  is  to  take  the  scab  from  the 
fore-leg  of  the  horse  and  pulverize  it  very  fine.  This  is  done 
by  rubbing  it  on  a  coarse  file.  Put  a  tea-spoonful  of  this  in 
each  ear  of  the  horse,  and  dust  a  little  up  his  nose.  This, 
it  is  said,  will  so  operate  upon  his  nerves  and  brain  that  he 
will  lie  down  and  go  to  sleep ;  and,  after  remaining  thus  for 
about  half  an  hour,  he  will  get  up,  apparently  well,  and  with 
his  muscles  relaxed,  and  will  then  commence  eating.  We 
know  that  this  scab  contains  a  powerful  narcotic  principle, 
and  as  the  authority  for  its  use  in  lock-jaw  was  among  the 
best  at  the  South,  it  will  be  worth  a  trial  at  least. 

A   REMARKABLE   CASE. 

While  the  author  was  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  this 
work,  he  was  called  upon  to  treat  the  most  remarkable  case 
of  tetanus  that  was  ever  brought  to  his  notice.  It  occurred 
in  the  village  of  Petersburg,  Boone  County,  Kentucky,  in 
August,  1866.  A  young  mare,  the  property  of  Mr.  H. 
McWithy,  and  only  partially  broken,  was  put  into  the  hands 
of  a  wagon-driver,  during  some  of  the  hottest  days  of  the 
season,  to  gentle  before  the  wagon.  She  was  very  fat,  and 
had  been  worked  but  little  before.  Although  herself  quite 
small,  her  companion  was  a  very  large,  strong  horse,  and  the 
labor  to  which  she  was  put — hauling  logs — was  altogether 
too  hard  for  her. 

One  day  we  were  summoned  in  haste  to  come  and  see  her, 
as  she  had  the  lock-jaw.  Her  condition  was  pitiable  indeed — 
the  jaws  firmly  set,  every  muscle  in  the  body  drawn  to  its 
utmost  tension,  and  the  limbs  so  stiffened  that  she  could 
move  them  only  with  the  utmost  diflSiculty.  It  was  a  case 
of  tetanus,  resulting  from  a  rare  cause,  and  one  not  men- 
tioned in  any  work  upon  the  horse.  We  shall  describe  the 
case  and  its  treatment  with  some  minuteness,  as  its  history 
may  be  the  means  of  saving  the  life  of  a  valuable  horse  for 
the  reader. 

The  primary  cause  of  the  attack  was  undoubtedly  a  dread- 


204  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

ful  over-heating,  by  which  the  adipose  matter  in  the  body 
had  become  softened — almost  melted — and,  settling  down 
upon  the  nerves  and  blood-vessels,  had  produced  suspension 
of  nervous  action,  and  a  fearful  congestion  of  the  circulation. 
Every  nerve  was  fully  set,  and  every  muscle  and  tendon  con- 
tracted to  its  utmost.  Her  jaws  were  not  only  fixed,  but 
were  so  much  drawn  that  to  swallow  was  impossible.  Med- 
icines, abundant  and  powerful,  were  within  easy  reach ;  but 
of  what  avail  was  this  when  not  a  thimbleful  could  be  made 
to  reach  her  stomach  by  any  means?  It  was  evident  that 
she  could  stand  upon  her  feet  but  a  little  while  longer,  and, 
if  once  down,  she  would  never  rise  again.  Unless  relief 
could  be  given  at  once,  she  could  not  live  more  than  from 
four  to  six  hours  at  farthest.  Her  pulse  was  hard,  corded, 
and  fearfully  accelerated,  beating  about  seventy-three  to  the 
minute.  Kow  what  was  to  be  done  ?  We  resorted  to  "  the 
vile  practice  "  of  bleeding,  and  are  willing  to  compare  results 
with  either  any  opposer  or  abuser  of  the  system. 

The  neck  vein  having  been  opened,  half  a  gallon  of  blood 
was  permitted  to  run,  when  she  .appeared  weak,  and  the 
stream  was  stopped.  The  blood  was  the  thickest  and  black- 
est we  ever  saw  drawn,  except  in  some  cases  of  big  head, 
and  for  some  minutes  came  very  slowly,  although  the  incis- 
ion was  a  large  one.  Her  faintness  from  the  loss  of  so  little 
blood  was  surprising;  but  this  was  in  consequence  of  drain- 
ing so  much  from  the  immediate  region  of  the  brain,  while 
the  general  circulation,  as  yet,  had  hardly  been  affected.  lu 
this  short  time  the  pulse  had  become  soft  and  flabby,  though 
its  rapidity  was  not  diminished.  Some  of  the  bystanders 
said,  "Why  do  you  stop  so  soon?  Bleed  her  until  she 
faints."  But  we  knew  better  what  was  the  proper  course. 
Had  she  fallen,  while  in  this  condition,  she  would  have  lain 
there  until  dragged  away  to  her  burying-place.  Our  object 
was  to  relax  the  system  graduallj^  without  overpowering  the 
vital  energies,  as  excessive  bleeding,  at  this  stage  of  the  dis- 
ease, would  most  certainly  have  done. 

In  about  twenty  minutes  she  rallied,  and  the  arterial  flow 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  205 

became  fuller  and  stronger.  The  vein  was  now  reopened  by 
tightening  the  cord,  and  again  as  much  blood  drawn  as  be- 
fore.  For  four  successive  times  a  half  gallon  of  blood  was 
thus  taken  away,  the  animal  seeming  stronger  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  operation  than  at  its  commencement.  In  fact, 
after  the  first  bleeding,  she  showed  no  sign  of  faintness  or 
faltering.  By  this  time  the  jaws  had  relaxed  so  that  they 
could  be  pulled  open  half  an  inch.  All  this  consumed  about 
an  hour  and  a  half. 

But  the  dependence  was  not  wholly  upon  bleeding.  While 
this  had  been  going  on,  a  large,  thick  woolen  blanket  was 
brought,  and,  after  having  been  wet  in  cold  water,  was  spread 
over  her  whole  body.  Twenty  bucketfuls  of  cold  water 
were  then  poured  upon  her.  Instead  of  killing  her,  as  some 
might  imagine  it  would  have  done,  this  proved  of  the  greatest 
benefit.  It  cooled  her  system,  and  caused  the  adipose  matter, 
or  fat,  to  harden  and  contract ;  and  thus  the  nerves  and  blood 
vessels  were  allowed  space  for  their  proper  play  again.* 

In  three  hours  her  jaws  were  so  much  relaxed  that,  by 
considerable  effort,  she  was  able  to  swallow.  •  A  fourth  of  a 
pound  of  salts  and  a  gill  of  laudanum  were  given,  while  the 
same  amount  of  salts  was  used  as  a  clyster.  During  the 
bleeding,  her  pulse  fell  from  seventy-three  to  sixty.  She  re- 
mained under  the  author's  treatment  for  two  days,  when  she 
was  taken  home,  a  distance  of  two  miles.  In  due  time  she 
entirely  recovered,  and  at  the  date  of  this  writing — two 
months  afterward — she  remains  as  well  as  ever. 

CRAMPS. 

A  few  horses  are  subject  to  cramp.  This  is  h:.  irritability 
and  involuntary  spasm  of  a  particular  muscle,  or  set  of  mus- 
cles, and  is  caused  by  a  strain,  a  bruise,  or  some  similar  in- 
jury. Horses  whose  energies  have  been  overtaxed  by  severe 
pulling  and  straining  during  the  day,  and  who  are  compelled 
to  stand  all  night  in  a  narrow  stall,  are  very  likely  to  suffer 
from  cramp  in  the  legs.  When  the  horse  tries  to  move, 
the  muscles,  having  become  stiff'  and  inflexible,  refuse  to  act 


206  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

for  awhile,  until  the  nervous  energy  is  restored;  and  then 
they  exhibit  a  spasmodic  overaction  that  produces  cramp. 
The  horse  seems  utterly  powerless  to  control  their  action, 
and  they  jerk  and  twitch  in  a  most  singular  manner.  The 
circulation,  which  has  been  partially  suspended,  is  soon  re- 
stored by  this  exercise,  and  as  the  parts  become  warmed  the 
muscles  relax,  and  their  pliancy  and  elasticity  return. 

Cramping  seems  to  be  a  species  of  temporary  rheumatism. 
It  is  very  painful,  and  often  leaves  lameness  and  great  sore- 
ness behind  it.  When  this  is  the  case,  no  paine  should  be 
spared  to  find  the  affected  part,  which,  may  be  done  by  press- 
ing upon  the  muscles  of  the  legs  with  the  hand.  The  horse 
will  wince  when  the  tender  spot  is  touched. 

TREATMENT. 

Bleed  once,  taking  away  three  Quarts  of  blood.  Wash  the 
parts  well  with  salt  and  water,  and  rub  them  for  some  time 
with  the  hand  or  a  rough  cloth.  When  dry,  apply  the  cor- 
rosive liniment  once. 

RHEUMATISM. 

Very  few  persons  are  aware  how  frequently  this  disease  at- 
tacks the  horse.  Even  among  professional  veterinarians  it 
has  received  but  little  attention.  Yet  many  instances  of 
lameness  have  occurred — cases  in  which  the  horse  apparently 
suffered  excruciating  pain,  and  was  barely  able  to  move  his 
limbs  at  all — that  could  be  referred  to  "no  other  possible 
cause.  There  is  no  reason  whatever  why  the  horse's  frame 
should  be  exempt  from  rheumatism  any  more  than  the  hu- 
man. The  physiology  of  the  two  are  very  much  alike,  and 
exposure  or  bad  treatment  will  be  as  likely  to  bring  it  on  in 
one  as  in  the  other. 

Old  horses  are  those  most  subject  to  rheumatism,  especially 
when  they  have  been  abused  or  very  hard  worked.  It  rarely 
occurs  among  younger  animals,  unless  their  energies  have 
been  greatl}^  overtaxed.  Yet  exposure  and  severe  usage  do  not 
appear  to  be  the  only  causes  of  rheumatism.    The  lean  horse, 


'* 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  207 

if  otherwise  in  good  condition,  is  very  seldom  among  its  victims. 
It  is  the  horse  well-fed,  plethoric,  fat,  and  sleek  that  is  often - 
est  attacked.  The  immediate  cause  of  the  disease  is  obstruc- 
tion of  the  circulation.  It  is  always  an  evidence  that  the  blood 
is  too  abundant  and  too  thick,  as  well  as  too  sluggish  and 
irregular  in  its  flow,  from  which  condition  proceeds  nervous  ^ 
irritability,  in  the  first  instance,  and  next  rheumatism,  which 
is  but  one  form  of  this  nervous  disturbance  localized.  Te- 
tanus is  an  aggravated  and  general  development  of  the  same  ,  r 
functional  derangements. 

Rheumatism  affects  the  tendons  and  joints,  and  is  accom- 
panied by  terrible  inflammation  and  lameness.  Although  the 
hips  and  shoulders  are  its  favorite  points  of  attack,  the  knees 
and  all  the  joints  of  the  legs  sometimes  suffer  from  it.  Cramp 
is  but  a  milder  form  of  the  same  disease — a  brief,  spasmodic 
rheumatism. 

Many  other  diseases  are  liable  to  be  confounded  with  rheu- 
matism. Stiff*  complaint,  so  called,  is  but  the  general  eft'ects 
of  rheumatism  located  in  the  joints — in  fact,  become  chronic. 
On  the  other  hand,  many  cases  which  have  been  doctored  as 
colic  or  founder  have  really  been  acute  attacks  of  this  dis- 
order. 

REMARKABLE   CASES. 

Although  our  space  is  limited,  perhaps  we  can  not  do  better 
than  devote  two  or  three, pages  to  the  narration  of  two  re- 
markable cases  which  the  writer  treated  some  years  since. 
They  show  how  easy  and  common  it  is  for  the  uninformed 
to  make  mistakes  in  the  diagnosis  of  rheumatism. 

A  gentleman  named  Hardison,  residing  in  Middle  Ten- 
nessee, brought  his  family  upon  a  visit  to  some  friends  in  , 
Gibson  Count}^,  in  the  same  State.  The  distance  was  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  which  he  drove  with  his  family  * 
horse,  in  a  carriage.  She  was  a  large  mare,  unusually  full 
and  plethoric,  and  plainly  showed  the  good  usage  which  she 
had  been  accustomed  to  receive.  Unless  in  this  journey,  her 
strength  had  not  been  at  all  overtaxed;  but  for  some  time 
previous  to  making  the  trip  she  had  been  exercised  but  little. 


*' 


208  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.  ^ 

One  morning,  after  having  been  driven  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  friend's  house  where  Mr.  Hardison  was  stopping, 
and  while  still  before  the  buggy,  she  was  taken  suddenly  ill. 
She  seemed  scarcely  able  to  stand  upon  her  feet;  she  trembled 
all  over;  great  drops  of  sweat  rolled  down  her  sides,  and  in 
twenty  minutes  she  was  wet  with  perspiration.  Her  appear- 
ance and  motions  indicated  the  most  intense  suffering,  and 
she  seemed  unwilling  to  let  her  feet  touch  the  ground,  as  if 
it  gave  her  great  pain.  Yet  there  was  an  equal  disinclina- 
tion to  lie  down.  Standing  with  her  back  roached  up,  and 
the  most  imploring  look  possible,  she  was  a  spectacle  to  ex- 
cite the  deepest  feelings  of  compassion. 

With  the  bystanders,  this  was  plainly  an  attack  of- hots — 
an  opinion  in  which  they  were  confirmed  by  the  manner 
in  which  she  kept  putting  her  head  around  to  her  sides 
and  fore-legs,  and  by  the  continual  jerking  of  the  muscles 
and  skin  of  those  parts.  As  there  was  no  swelling  of  the 
abdomen,  it  could  not  be  colic. 

To  the  author,  however,  these  symptoms  indicated  some- 
thing entirel}^  different.  A  gallon  of  blood  was  accordingly 
drawn  from  the  neck,  and  some  salts  and  laudanum  were 
given  her,  and  in  two  hours  she  was  relieved. 

If  the  question  is  asked.  Why  give  this  as  a  case  of  rheu- 
matism, when  the  attack  was  so  sudden?  it  might  be  replied 
that  the  latter  did  not  pass  off  so  suddenly,  for  it  was  two 
months  before  the  mare  regained  the  use  of  her  limbs  suffi- 
ciently to  be  taken  home.  .  It  was  undoubtedly  a  severe  case 
of  spasmodic  rheumatism,  whose  surprisingly  rapid  devel- 
opment proceeded  from  causes,  in  all  probability,  long  pre- 
existing. This  example  shows  what  a  terrible  enginery  of  de- 
struction disease  may  sometimes  plant  in  the  system  entirely 
unsuspected. 

The  animal  had  seemingly  been  in  the  best  of  health,  and 
was  only  sick  about  two  hours;  yet  she  became  very  much 
reduced,  and  it  required  six  months  to  remove  all  traces  of  the 
attack.  Her  legs,  shoulders,  and  hips  were  stiff  and  sore  for 
months.     It  may  be  seriously  questioned  whether  she  ever 


I 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  209 

became  quite  as  sound  and  active  as  before,  or  whether  she 
was  as  well  able  to  withstand  another  assault  of  the  same 
disease. 

In  the  winter  of  1858-9,  while  traveling  in  the  northern 
part  of  Alabama,  the  writer  encountered  another  case,  which, 
although  very  similar  to  the  preceding,  presented  other  fea- 
tures so  instructive  that  we  shall  give  it  in  full  also. 

Our  place  of  entertainment  for  the  night  happened  to  be 
at  one  of  the  drovers'  stands  common  in  those  parts — resting- 
places  for  the  accommodation  of  the  numerous  droves  of 
horses  and  mules  on  their  way  from  the  great  stock-raising 
regions  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  to  the  cotton  districts 
of  the  South.  Here  we  met  the  worst  case  of  rheumatism 
our  eyes  ever  rested  on.  The  victim  was  a  line  young  horse, 
about  six  years  of  age,  purchased  in  Williamson  County, 
Tennessee.  He  had  been  trained  for  the  saddle  exclusively, 
never  having  been  hitched  in  harness ;  had  been  moderately 
used,  and  always  well  treated.  For  the  preceding  seven  or 
eight  days  he  had  run  loose  in  the  drove,  traveling  in  this 
manner  only  about  twenty  miles  a  day. 

Soon  after  reaching  our  stopping- place,  we  learned  that  a 
horse  was  coming  very  sick  with  either  colic  or  founder,  and 
presently  he  made  his  appearance.  Certainly  he  was  as 
pitiable  an  object  as  we  ever  saw — his  belly  tucked  up,  his 
back  humped,  his  feet  drawn  under  him,  and  his  expression 
indescribably  woe-begone.  He,  too,  was  disinclined  to  lie 
down,  but  finally  did  so,  by  giving  entirely  away  and  falling 
to  the  ground.  The  groans  which  followed  this  performance 
were  perfectly  heart-rending.  We  \iever  heard  such  from 
any  other  animal  before  or  since. 

What  had  brought  on  the  attack?  The  horse  was  young, 
very  fat,  and,  until  a  very  few  hours  before,  had  been  in  ex- 
cellent health.  The  day  was  moderately  cool,  so  that  he 
could  not  have  become  overheated;  nor  had  he  either  eaten 
or  drank  too  frequently.  There  was  no  cause  for  founder. 
Examination  showed,  too,  that  it  was  not  the  feet  so  much 
as  the  knees  and  shoulders  that  were  tender  and  sore.  As 
14 


210  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

for  bots,  the  author  of  this  work  had  been  for  years  defending 
that  inoffensive  little  creature  from  the  charge  of  killing  the 
hoi-se,  satisfactory  reasons  being  apparent  for  believing  him 
entirely  innocent  of  the  crime.  It  was  not  a  case  of  colic,  for 
the  symptomatic  indications  of  intestinal  disorder  were  lacking. 

Treatment  was  applied  as  for  rheumatism.  It  was  success- 
ful. Bleeding  was  the  first  step,  a  gallon  of  blood  being 
drawn  from  the  overloaded  vessels.  Then,  another  of  the  best 
of  remedies  for  the  horse  was  administered  as  a  drench — one 
quart  of  salt  and  water,  as  hot  as  it  could  be  swallowed.  The 
legs  were  freely  bathed  with  the  same  mixture.  In  one  hour 
the  sufferer  was  greatly  better,  and  -seemed  nearly  free  from 
pain.  But  a  year  later  he  had  not  entirely  outworn  the  ef- 
fects of  this  dreadful  attack. 

This,  also,  was  a  case  of  spasmodic  rheumatism.  Yet  a 
degree  of  mystery  attaches  to  it.  An  attack  so  fearful  as  to 
leave  behind  its  brief  duration  of  four  hours  such  evil  conse- 
quences, did  not  spring  up  in  a  few  hours  or  a  day.  Its 
causes  must  have  been  in  existence  for  weeks,  or  probably  even 
for  months  before,  the  disease,  meanwhile,  continually  accu- 
mulating its  forces,  until,  at  last,  it  suddenly  overpowered  the 
vital  energies  and  prostrated  the  horse's  strength  completely. 

But  are  there  no  premonitory  symptoms  to  indicate  the 
approach  of  so  terrible  a  foe?  Sometimes  there  are,  but 
more  frequently  there  are  not.  Unfortunately,  remedies  can 
be  prescribed  more  easily  than  preventives ;  yet  considerable 
may  be  done,  in  a  general  way,  in  the  latter  direction.  Light, 
moist  food,  a  good  pasture,  or  any  relaxing  diet,  by  keeping 
the  blood  thin,  will  tend  to  the  prevention  of  rheumatism ; 
while  dry,  hard  food,  such  as  heats  the  blood,  and  makes  it 
thick  arid  dark,  will  be  likely  to  bring  it  on. 

'      TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  has  been  sufficiently  indicated  in  the  history 
of  the  case  last  given.  It  consists  in  bleeding  from  the  neck 
vein,  and  the  free  use  of  salt  and  hot  water,  both  internally 
and  to  bathe  the  affected  parts. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  211 


SPASMS. 

Perhaps  few  affections  are  so  common  among  horses  as 
spasms,  and  yet  no  veterinary  Writer  has  thought  proper  to 
introduce  them  in  his  classification  of  diseases.  The  reason 
probably  is,  that,  although  well-known  to  all  who  possess 
any  familiarity  with  the  ailments  of  horse-flesh,  they  so  often 
occur  in  connection  with  other  diseases  that  they  have  been 
regarded  as  merely  symptomatic  in  all  cases.  But  sometimes 
we  find  them  entirely  disconnected  with  any  other  disorder, 
under  circumstances  that  forbid  the  intelligent  practitioner 
referring  them  to  any  local  affection. 

Spasms  may  be  of  three  kinds — of  the  nerves,  the  muscles, 
or  the  skin.  Although  only  the  second  of  these  properly  be- 
longs to  this  chapter,  it  will  be  most  convenient  to  consider 
all  of  them  in  this  connection.  A  minute  description  of  each 
IS  a  task  not  without  some  difficulty.  Yet,  where  is  the  far- 
mer that  has  not  witnessed  spasms  of  the  muscles?  For  a 
few  minutes  they  contract  violently,  with  sudden  jerks ;  then 
the  spasm  passes  away,  leaving  the  animal  apparently  as  well 
as  ever. 

ITervous  spasms  are  still  more  common.  The  horse  sud- 
denly becomes  much  agitated,  trembles  all  over,  and  has  a 
wild,  frightened  look,  when  there  is  not  the  'least  sign  of 
any  cause  of  alarm.  For  a  few  moments  his  very  frame 
shakes  with  excitement ;  but  this  passes  off  presently,  and  he 
becomes  perfectly  tranquil  again.  Such  a  case  is  plainly 
nothing  else  than  one  manifestation  of  nervous  disturbance, 
in  which  alone  all  his  disquiet  and  fears  have  their  origin. 

Every  one  knows  that  in  human  pathology  nervous  people 
are  usually  very  fearful,  always  imagining  something  wrong, 
or  some  danger  near.  It  is  precisely  the  same  with  the  horse. 
Many  a  poor  animal  has  been  adjudged  to  be  vicious,  and  has 
received  terrible  beatings  for  his  unaccountable  excitement, 
his  reluctance  to  move,  or  his  supposed  perversity,  when  all 
this  was  the  result  simply  of  nervous  derangement,  manifested 
in  the  form  of  spasms,  which  affected  the  whole  body. 


212  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Such  a  condition  is  generally  produced  by  there  being  too 
much  blood  in  the  system,  and  that  too  thick.  Nervous 
power  is  largely  concerned  in  carrying  on  the  circulation, 
and,  when  the  blood  is  in  this  state,  must  be  overtaxed  at 
times.  Hence  these  phenomena,  which  appear  so  singular 
to  the  horse's  driver. 

TREATMENT. 

Do  not  be  such  an  ignoramus  as  to  beat  your  horse  when 
he  is  suffering  from  a  nervous  spasm.  Kearly  always  it  is 
something  that  your  own  negligence  or  bad  management 
has  brought  on,  and  is  really  less  chargeable  to  the  horse  than 
to  yourself  or  his  keeper.  Try  the  effects  of  habitual  kind- 
ness and  gentleness,  if  your  horse  is  subject  to  such  attacks, 
and,  our  word  for  it,  you  will  see  a  marked  and  constantly 
increasing  change  for  the  better  in  a  very  short  time. 

If  the  spasm,  of  whatever  kind,  is  a  severe  one,  resort  must 
be  had  to  bleeding.  Many  an  excitable,  fractious  horse  will 
become  perfectly  quiet  and  tractable  if  a  gallon  of  blood  be 
drawn  from  the  overloaded  vessels.  It  will  seldom  be  neces- 
sary, however,  to  take  so  much  as  this  in  a  simple  case  of 
spasm*.  Relax  the  system  by  giving  light,  soft  diet.  This 
does  not  mean,  however,  that  you  shall  starve  your  horse  into 
weakness  and  languor. 

STRING-HALT,   OR  SPRING-HALT. 

Every  member  of  the  body  has  its  appropriate  nerve,  with- 
out whose  prompting  it  could  not  move.  The  hips  and  hind 
legs  are  given  power  and  motion  through  the  agency  of  the 
sciatic  nerve,  a  branch  given  off  by  the  spinal  cord  in  the 
region  of  the  lumbar  vertebrae.  It  is  this  nerve  which  most 
anatomists  consider  the  seat  of  that  singular  derangement 
which  produces  string-halt. 

The  disease  is  a  familiar  one.  Instead  of  a  suspension  of 
the  nervous  and  muscular  energy,  it  is  an  overaction  of  both; 
so  that  whenever  the  horse  attempts  to  lift  his  hind  legs,  they 
move  by  a  sudden  spasmodic  jerk,. and  are  caught  up  much 
higher  than  is  natural.    In  extreme  cases,  they  are  sometimes 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  213 

thrown  fairly  up  against  the  belly,  and  with  some  force.  The 
muscles  are  but  the  servants  of  the  nerves,  and  only  exhibit 
the  contractions  and  jerks  that  are  communicated  to  them 
by  their  superiors. 

A  celebrated  horse  in  England,  that  had  been  afflicted  with 
string-halt  in  its  most  aggravated  form,  was  dissected  by 
Professor  Spooner,  of  the  Royal  Veterinary  College,  with  a 
view  to  gaining  some  light  upon  the  causes  of  this  disease. 
The  result  of  the  examination  has  been  given,  as  follows : 

"On  taking  oft'  the  skin,  all  the  muscles  presented  their 
perfect  healthy  character.  There  was  not  the  slightest  en- 
largement or  discoloration  of  the  fasciae.  The  muscles  of 
both  extremities  were  dissected  from  their  origins  to  their 
tendinous  terminations,  and  their  fibrous  structure  carefully 
examined.  They  were  all  beautifully  developed,  presenting 
no  inequality  or  irregularity  of  structure,  nor  aiight  that 
would  warrant  the  suspicioh  that  any  one  of  them  possessed 
an  undue  power  or  influence  beyond  the  others.  The  only 
abnormal  circumstance  about  them  was,  that  they  were  of  a 
rather  darker  yellow  in  color  than  is  usually  found.  This 
referred  to  them  generally,  and  not  to  any  particular  muscle 
or  sets  of  muscles. 

J'The  lumbar,  crural,  and  sciatic  nerves  were  examined 
from  the  spot  at  which  they  emerge  from  the  spinal  cord  to 
their  ultimate  distributions.  The  crural  and  lumbar  nerves 
were  perfectly  healthy.  The  sciatic  nerve,  at  the  aperture 
through  which  it  escapes  froili  the  spine,  was  darker  in  color 
than  is  usual,  being  of  a  yellowish-brown  hue.  Its  texture 
was  softened,  and  its  fibrillse  somewhat  loosely  connected  to- 
gether. The  nerve  was  of  its  usual  size ;  but  on  tracing  it  in 
its  course  through  the  muscles  of  the  haunch,  several  spots 
of  ecchymosis  presented  themselves,  and  were  more  particu- 
larly marked  on  that  part  of  the  nerve  which  is  connected 
with  the  sacro-sciatic  ligament.  As  the  nerve  approached 
the  hock,  it  assumed  its  natural  color  and  tone;  and  the 
fibers  given  oft'  from  it  to  the  muscles  situated  inferior  to  the 
stifle-joint  were  of  a  perfectly  healthy  character. 


214  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

"On  dissecting  out  a  portion  of  the  nerve  where  it  ap» 
peared  to  be  in  a  diseased  state,  it  was  found  that  this  ecchy- 
mosis  was  confined  to  the  membrinous  investiture  of  the 
nerve,  and  that  its  substance,  when  pressed  from  its  sheath, 
presented  a  perfectly  natural  character. 

"The  cavity  of  the  cranium  and  the  whole  extent  of  the 
spinal  canal  were  next  laid  open.  The  brain  and  the  spinal 
marrow  were  deprived  of  their  membranous  coverings,  and 
both  the  thecse  and  their  contents  diligently  examined.  There 
was  no  lesion  in  any  part  of  them,  not  even  at  the  lumbar 
region. 

"The  articulations  of  every  joint  of  the  hind  extremities 
then  underwent  inspection,  and  no  disease  could  be  detected 
in  either  of  them. 

"  Professor  Spooner  was  of  opinion  that  this  peculiar  affec- 
"  tion  was  not  referable  to  any  diseased  state  of  the  brain  or 
spinal  cord,  nor  to  any  local  affection  of  the  muscles  of  the 
limbs,  but  simply  to  a  morbid  affection  of  the  sciatic  nerve. 
He  had  not  dissected  a  single  case  of  string-halt  in  which,  he 
had  not  found  disease  of  this  nerve,  which  mainly  contributes 
to  supply  the  hind  extremities  with  sensation  and  the  power 
of  voluntary  action." 

String-halt  is  seldom  sufficiently  aggravated  to  provQ  a 
serious  detriment  to  the  horse's  qualifications  for  service. 
The  ungainly  and  even  ludicrously  awkward  appearance 
which  the  gait  presents,  constitutes  the  only  objection  in  most 
instances.  But  we  regard  it  as  a  great  mistake  to  consider 
this  peculiarity  an  indication  of  unusual  power.  It  is  an  evi- 
dence, rather,  of  bad  treatment.  The  horse  has  been  strained, 
at  some  time  or  other,  and  the  injury  then  sustained  by  his 
muscles  has  reacted  upon  the  important  sciatic  nerve. 

TREATMENT. 

Bleed  moderately,  taking  not  to  exceed  three  pints  of. 
blood,  and  repeat  the  operation  at  the  end  of  ten  days.  Ap- 
ply about  a  table-spoonful  of  the  corrosive  liniment  to  that 
part  of  the  hip  in  immediate  connection  with  the  spine,  and 


i 


DISEASES  OF. THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS.  215 

also  to  the  back  part  of  the  foot.  Keep  both  the  hip  and  the 
heel  constantly  sore  with  the  liniment  for  at  least  a  month, 
using  it  daily. 

This  treatment,  with  the  addition  of  three  or  four  doses  of 
"jimson"  seed,  cured  one  of  the  worst  cases  of  stringhalt 
we  ever  saw. 


216  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS. 

As  all  the  unfavorable  external  influences  to  which  the 
horse  is  exposed  first  come  in  contact  with  the  skin,  we  can 
readily  understand  why  it  should  so  frequently  be  the  seat 
of  disease.  When  we  consider  the  dreadful  treatment  to 
which  the  poor  animal  is  often  subjected,  it  seems  a  wonder 
that  the  case  is  not  worse  than  it  is.  But  the  peculiar  struc- 
ture of  the  skin,  as  already  described  in  the  appropriate  sec- 
tion of  Chapter  11,  in  a  great  degree  protects  him  from  in- 
jury, and  wards  oft*  many  of  the  eftects  of  exposure  and  bad 
treatment*. 

The  various  affections  of  the  horse's  skin  have  received 
different  names  according  to  their  localities,  and  the  different 
phases  which  they  assume.  There  is  a  great  sameness  in 
the  general  symptoms  of  most  of  them,  as  well  as  in  their 
causes  and  treatment.  They  may  all  be  embraced  in  two 
classes:  First,  those  which  proceed  from  bad  treatment; 
second,  those  which  are  the  result  of  constitutional  tenden- 
cies. The  first  of  these  classes  embraces  by  far  the  larger  pro- 
portion of  them.  One  of  its  most  characteristic  representa- 
tives is  the  disease  called 

SCRATCHES. 

Universally  known  and  dreaded  as  this  is  by  all  American 
horsemen,  it  seems  to  be  a  stranger  to  the  English  veterina- 
rians ;  at  least,  it  is  not  mentioned  by  any  of  them  so  far  as 
we  have  any  knowledge.  It  makes  its  appearance  on  the 
back  part  of  the  foot,  extending  from  the  heel  to  the  fetlock, 
and  much  oftener  on  the  hind  than  on  the  fore-feet.  In  ex- 
treme cases,  it  has  been  known  to  extend  upward  on  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  217 

leg  to  the  joints  of  the  knee  and  hock,  and  around  to  the 
front  of  the  foot,  so  as  to  entirely  encircle  it.  It  begins  with 
a  thick,  dry,  scabby  covering  of  the  skin,  coming  in  little 
patches  upon  the  difterent  parts  of  the  heel,  which  continue 
tc  spread  until  they  unite  in  one  solid  mass  of  scab  and 
matted  hair. 

These  scabs  present  a  different  appearance  from  those  which 
occur  in  any  other  disease  of  the  skin  or  legs.  They  possess 
an  uncommon  itchiness,  which  impels  the  horse  to  keep  rub- 
bing the  parts,  if  it  is  possible  for  him  to  do  so,  very  often 
until  they  are  raw  and  bleeding.  This  is  the  origin  of  the 
name — Scratches. 

The  cause  of  this  disease  is  undoubtedly  bad  treatment  or 
improper  stable  management.  Let  the  horse  habitually  stand 
in  filth  and  mire  when  in  service,  or  on  piles  of  hot  and  steam- 
ing manure  in  his  stall,  and  the  skin  will  become  scalded  and 
scabby,  and,  before  the  negligent  keeper  is  aware,  scratches 
be  fully  developed.  This  end  will  be  much  hastened  by  a  bad 
state  of  the  system — impure  blood,  derangement  of  the  diges- 
tive functions,  and  general  feverishness.  It  often  happens 
that  when  other  diseases  are  pressing  upon  the  vital  energies 
of  the  horse,  this  annoyance  follows  in  the  train  of  his  mis- 
fortunes. But  these  other  diseases  are  usually  of  those  types 
which  are  superinduced  by  the  bad  management  before  ad- 
verted to.  Foul  air  and  filth  have  poisoned  the  blood  and 
rendered  the  entire  system  an  easy  prey  to  the  first  deter- 
mined assault  of  any  of  them.  While  the  horse  may  be  very 
thin  from  both  poverty  and  disease,  without  having  scratches, 
when  these  causes  are  combined  with  standing  in  filth  and 
mud,  or  on  a  great  heap  of  soft,  decomposing  manure,  it 
will  be  a  wonder  of  he  escapes  this  pest.  The  horse  that 
stands  in  a  dry  stable,  in  a  clean  and  well-kept  stall,  will 
rarely  indeed  be  troubled  with  scratches. 

TREATMENT, 

K  the  horse  is  in  bad  condition  and  thin  in  flesh,  bleed 
from  the  neck  vein;  but  should  he  be  weak  and  feeble,  only 


218  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

a  small  quantity — not  more  than  about  three  pints — of  blood 
must  be  taken  at  first,  and  ten  days  later,  as  much,  more 
If  his  strength  has  not  been  reduced,  it  may  do  to  bleed  but 
once,  then  taking  three  quarts  of  blood.  In  case  his  general 
health  is  vigorous,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  resort  to  bleed- 
ing at  all.  But  this  condition  will  rarely  be  found  in  con- 
nection with  scratches.        ^ 

The  remedy  to  be  applied  is  as  nearly  infallible  as  any 
thing  possibly  can  be.  The  corrosive  liniment  will  cure  the 
disease  in  every  stage,  and  in  every  condition  of  the  system, 
and  under  almost  any  circumstances.  Apply  it  with  a  little 
mop,  shaking  it  up  well  before  using.  Turn  out  about  a 
table-spoonful  of  it  in  an  earthen  cup,  and  with  the  mop 
saturate  the  affected  parts  thoroughly.  Use  the  liniment  for 
four  days ;  then  omit  for  two  days,  and  use  again.  The  hot 
iron  need  not  be  employed  to  dry  it  in,  as  this  is  one  of  the 
cases  in  which  it  has  more  effect  while  on  the  surface. 

Keep  the  horse  out  of  the  wet  while  applying  the  liniment, 
or  it  will  do  him  little  good.  Feed  light;  and  if  it  is  the 
time  of  pasture,  he  will  need  no  other  diet.  In  winter,  give 
as  much  green,  soft  food  as  can  be  procured. 

THRUSH. 

This  disease  is  characterized  by  a  continuous  discharge  of 
very  offensive  matter  from  the  frog  and  heel  of  the  foot. 
The  cleft  of  the  frog  is  from  one-fourth  to  one-half  an  inch 
in  depth.  The  exudation  of  purulent  matter  from  this  re- 
gion sometimes  continues  for  a  long  time  before  the  inatten- 
tive owner  becomes  aware  of  it.  When  thrush  has  an  in- 
dependent existence  as  a  local  disease,  it  is  generally  the  con- 
sequence of  standing  in  a  damp,  wet  stable;  or  it  may  be 
produced  by  injuries  of  the  frog.  There  is  no  disease  of  the 
horse's  foot  but  may  be,  and  often  is,  the  cause  of  thrush. 

It  is  the  result  of  gross  negligence  and  mismanagement 
in  the  large  majority  of  cases.  It  would  be  a  rare  vis- 
itant of  our  stables  if  they  Were  kept  cleaner  and  dryer. 
The  cavalry  horse  seldom  has  it,  and  there  is  no  reason  what- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.    .  219 

ever  why  the  farmer  should  encounter- it  any  more  frequently 
than  the  trooper.  We  trust  that  to  few  of  our  readers  the 
following  adyice  will  be  applicable,  but  those  to  whom  it  is 
can  not  act  upon  it  too  promptly :  Throw  out  the  great  piles 
of  manure  that  have  been  accumulating  in  your  stable,  and 
in  which  your  horse  has  been  so  long  standing,  to  the  great 
detriment  of  his  health  and  vigor,  and,  instead,  give  him  a 
good  bed  of  dry  straw  or  sawdust.  Do  this,  and  you  need  have 
little  fear  of  being  compelled  to  undergo  the  trouble  or  an- 
noyance of  treating  any  cases  of  this  disease. 

TREATMENT. 

The  corrosive  liniment  will  prove  as  efficacious  for  thrush 
as  it  is  for  scratches,  if  the  affection  is  local  and  independent 
of  any  other.  If  some  other  disease  of  the  foot  has  caused 
it,  cure  that  first.  The  liniment  should  be  applied  by  wet- 
ting a  little  string  of  tow  or  piece  of  cloth  with  it,  and  press- 
ing this  into  the  cleft  of  the  frog  and  the  corresponding  part 
of  the  heel.  Do  this  at  night,  and  remove  the  tow  or  cloth 
the  next  morning.  Thus  continue  as  long  as  may  be  neces- 
sary, with  intervals  of  omission  every  third  or  fourth  day. 

CRACKED  HEELS,  OR  GREASE. 

This  is  but  another  form  of  the  disease,  two  of  whose 
developments  we  have  already  considered.  It  more  nearly 
resembles  thrush,  however,  than  it  does  scratches.  It  is  en- 
tirely confined  to  the  back  part  of  the  foot,  called  the  heel — 
a  locality  that  scratches  attack  much  less  frequently,  but 
which  is  the  exact  seat  of  thrush.  In  respect  to  the  puru- 
lent exudations  by  which  it  is  accompanied,  it  is  still  more 
like  the  latter. 

Some  other,  and  perhaps  more  obscure,  disease  of  the  foot 
is  very  commonly  the  origin  of  this.  In  numerous  instances, 
it  is  not  a  local  disease,  but  an  oozing  out  through  the  pores 
of  the  skin  of  a  thin  matter  from  some  deeper-seated  ulcera- 
tion, generally  that  attending  the  disease  of  either  the  coffin  or 
the  navicular  joint,  which  has  been  described  in  Chapter  IV. 


si 

220  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

In  most  of  these  cases,  the  joint  last  named  is  the  part  really 
affected.  But  the  mischief  very  often  flows  from  the  same 
external  causes  referred  to  in  the  last  two  sections — improper 
stable  management,  and  permitting  the  horse  to  stand  habit- 
ually in  wet  and  filth,  or  on  a  mass  of  rotting  straw,  saturated 
with  the  highly  alkaline  urine. 

It  is  an  established  fact  in  the  pathology  of  diseases,  whether 
of  man  or  beast,  that  the  same  causes  acting  upon  the  physical 
system,  under  different  circumstances,  may  produce  quite 
different  results.  Hence  arises  the  fact  that  many  diseases 
belonging  to  the  same  class,  yet  more  or  less  varied  in  their 
developments,  and  designated  by  totally  different  names,  are 
often  traceable  to  precisely  the  same  origin.  Why  this  pecul- 
iar form  of  disease  in  the  horse's  foot  should  be  called  "  grease," 
to  the  exclusion  of  others  of  a  very  similar  appearance,  is 
not  apparent  from  any  pathological  considerations.  The 
same  purulent  matter  is  given  forth  in  thrush  and  foot-evil 
as  in  this.  These  diseases  are  evidently  most  closely  related. 
They  manifest  the  Same,  or  nearly  the  same,  symptoms ;  they 
often  run  into  each  other,  and  may  have  exactly  the  same 
causes ;  and  the  same  treatment  cures  them.  One  common 
title,  therefore,  might  be  applied  to  all  of  them  with  perfect 
propriety ;  but,  for  the  sake  of  distinction  and  greater  clear- 
ness, they  are  variously  named  according  to  their  most  promi- 
inent  and  distinctive  symptoms.  The  most  striking  pecu- 
liarity of  this  disease,  and  the  only  one  which  marks  the 
Doundary  between  it  and  the  others,  is  the  cracked,  open 
heel.  Throughout  this  work,  therefore,  it  will  be  called 
"cracked  heels."  It  will  be  of  decided  advantage  for  our 
agricultural  and  veterinary  writers  to  accept  this  American 
name,  and  drop  the  vague  term  of  English  farriers,  "  grease." 

In  the  horse's  heel,  the  skin  has  one  peculiarity  not  dis- 
coverable in  any  other  part  of  the  body.  In  its  healthy  state 
there  is  a  constant  secretion  and  discharge  of  an  oily  fluid 
from  the  cellular  tissues  underneath.  This  lubricates  the  much 
exposed  surface,  and  keeps  it  soft  and  pliable.  It  also  pre- 
vents the  skin  from  becoming  dry  and  hard,  as  well  as  from 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  221 

cracking  or  chapping,  which  it  is  very  apt  to  do.  Many 
causes  may  operate  to  obstruct  the  flow  of  this  oily  fluid  until 
it  ceases  altogether.  When  this  occurs,  the  skin  becomes 
dry  and  feverish,  with  a  scurfy,  red,  and  angry  appearance. 
Presently  cracks  begin  to  show  themselves,  from  which  the 
long-pent-up  oil  secretions  commence  to  run ;  but  instead  of 
being  a  soft,  oily  lubricator,  it  is  now  changed  to  a  foul,'yel- 
lowi^  water.  If  the  disease  is  allowed  to  run  on,  the  entire 
heel  is  transformed  into  an  ulcerated  mass  of  fungous  ex- 
crescences. The  flow  of  matter  increases,  and  it  becomes 
more  and  more  thick,  sticky,  and  ofiensive.  Such  a  develop- 
ment marks  the  disease  as  entirely  local,  and  originating  in 
entirely  local  causes. 

Cracked  heels  is  not  contagious,  as  many  have  supposed; 
yet  if  one  horse  has  it,  the  others  in  the  same  stable  are  very 
likely  to  exhibit  the  same  condition,  sooner  or  later,  because 
the  surroundings  of  all  are  nearly  identical.  Like  causes 
produce  like  efl:ects.  A  wet,  foul  stable,  or  muddy  stable- 
lot,  will  be  as  likely  to  give  this  disease  to  one  horse  as  to 
another. 

TREATMENT. 

As  before  intimated,  the  treatment  necessary  is  similar  to 
that  for  scratches  and  thrush.  The  persevering  use  of  the 
corrosive  linim.ent  will  cure  this  disease  without  fail,  if  ac- 
companied by  a  reasonable  degree  of  care  and  attention. 
When  the  trouble  is  first  discovered,  a  few  applications  will 
be  sufficient  to  remove  it.  But  if  the  case  is  one  of  long 
standing,  it  will  prove  extremely  obstinate ;  for,  by  this  time, 
not  only  will  the  heels  have  become  badly  cracked  and  a 
fungous  growth  have  made  its  appearance,  but  the  general 
health  of  the  horse  will  have  suffered  materially. 

Bleeding  will  not  be  required  unless  the  horse  is  thin  in 
flesh,  and  in  a  low  state  of  health  from  the  effects  of  the  dis- 
ease, in  which  case  bleed  once  from  the  neck  vein,  taking 
two  quarts  of  blood.  Give  sulphur  and  resin  every  third 
day,  in  the  proportions  of  two  of  the  former  to  one  of  the 


222  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

latter.     Four  or  five  doses  will  be  enough — a  quarter  of  a 
pound  at  a  dose. 

Apply  the  corrosive  liniment  with  a  little  mop,  until  the 
heel  is  thoroughly  saturated.  Shake  it  well  before  using, 
and  turn  out  about  a  table-spoonful  into  an  earthen  cup.  It 
should  be  applied  every  other  day,  until  the  disease  is  thor- 
oughly conquered,  and  all  traces  of  inflammation,  as  well  as 
of  fungous  growth,  if  any  such  there  were,  have  entire!/  dis- 
appeared. The  liniment  often,  forms^  a  thick  scab  upon  the 
skin,  so  dry  and  hard  that  the  remedy  almost  ceases  to  act. 
This  is  a  sure  sign  that  the  case  is  progressing  to  a  happy 
issue.  When  this  occurs,  the  liniment  may  be  omitted  for 
several  days,  and  the  part  kept  well  greased  until  the  scab 
comes  off,  when  the  applications  may  be  resumed.  Such  a 
course  may  be  continued  as  long  as  necessary. 

Keep  the  horse  out  of  the  rain  and  wet  while  the  liniment 
is  being  used,  or,  at  least,  for  six  hours  afterward.  The  ap- 
plications had  better  be  made  at  night.  The  pasture  is  the 
best  place  for  the  horse  during  the  day,  but  he  should  not 
be  turned  upon  it  until  the  dew  is  off  in  the  morning,  or  the 
grass  has  dried  after  a  rain.  If  at  a  time  of  year  when  there 
is  no  pasture,  give  him  as  much  green,  succulent  food  as  can 
readily  be  obtained.  At  night  house  him  in  a  clean,  dry 
stable. 

The  horse  must  have  rest.  To  work  him  while  thus  dis- 
eased is  not  only  unmerciful,  but  it  may  endanger  his  life, 
and  will  most  certainly  prevent  a  cure.  But  men  often' say, 
"I  can  not  do  without  the  services  of  my  horse;  they  are 
really  indispensable."  Very  well;  we  have  this  only  to 
say:  You  must  take  your  choice  either  of  getting  along  with- 
out him  for  the  little  while  necessary  to  effect  a  cure,  or  of 
doing  without  him  altogether,  as  you  certainly  will  have  to 
do  if  the  disease  goes  on  unchecked.  If  you  keep  him  at 
work,  you  have  no  right  to  look  for  any  other  result  than 
some  local  disease  that  will  ruin  him  forever. 

Of  one  thing  we  feel  certain :  if  the  owner  were  half  as 
badly  afflicted,  he  would  contrive  some  means  by  which  to 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EAR  223 

do  without  his  own  services  until  he  had  recovered.  Duty, 
mercy,  and  self-interest  all  plead  in  favor  of  a  similar  exemp- 
tion of  man's  faithful  servant,  the  horse,  when  diseased  and 
suffering. 

A  singularly  obstinate  case  of  cracked  heels  was  cured  by 
the  treatment  above  prescribed,  at  the  village  of  Petersburg, 
Boone  County,  Kentucky,  in  the  summer  of  1866.  A  young 
stable  horse,  belonging  to  Mr.  J.  Kelson  Green,  postmaster 
at  that  place,  had  this  disease  in  a  very  aggravated  form. 
The  case  had  been  treated  by  a  professional  veterinarian  for 
some  time,  and  finally  given  up  as  incurable.  The  writer 
then  began  treating  it  with  the  corrosive  liniment.  A  thick 
scab  was  formed  presently,  but  the  parts  were  kept  well 
greased,  and  by  this  means  it  was  brought  off".  The  appli- 
cations were  then  renewed,  with  like  results  and  treatment. 
After  the  fourth  alternation  in  the  use  q£  the  liniment,  the 
last  signs  of  the  disease  vanished  entirely. 

SWELLED   LEGS. 

Another  form  of  disease  intimately  connected  with  cracked 
heels,  and  in  many  cases  only  an  extension  of  it,  is  that  which 
is  appropriately  known  as  swelled  legs.  The  hind  and  some- 
times the  fore-legs  of  the  horse  are  subject  to  an  enlarge- 
ment having  its  origin  in  the  cellular  tissue  underlying  the 
skin.  This  tissue  is  the  thin,  white  membrane  that  attaches 
the  skin  to  the  muscles,  and  extends  not  only  around  the 
legs,  but  is  spread  over  the  entire  body. 

Mature  has  filled  all  the  interstices  between  the  fleshy  parts 
and  the  outer  covering  of  the  body  with  minute  sacs,  or  close 
cells,  filled  with  a  watery  secretion.  They  constitute  the  cel- 
lular tissue,  and  act  as  little  pads  for  the  skin,  which  every- 
where rests  upon  tThiem.  All  our  readers  practically  familiar 
with  the  operation  of  skinning  a  beef  mug;  have  noticed  the 
watery  secretions  oozing  out  as  the  knife  has  divided  the 
little  sacs  of  the  cellular  tissue.  In  many  parts  of  the  leg 
devoid  of  muscle  this  tissue  is  the  only  substance  which  in- 
tervenes between  the  skin  and  the  hard,  unyielding  surface 


224  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

of  the  bones ;  and  hence  these  parts  are  peculiarly  liable  to 
injury  from  the  effects  of  blows  and  concussions.  Here  wo 
find  these  little  sacs  especially  numerous.  It  is  another  ex- 
hibition of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the  Creator,  which 
the  whole  science  of  anatomy  every-where  reveals ;  and, 
again,  we  must  admire  the  incomparable  design  and  perfect 
finish  of  every  thing  in  Nature,  all  which  is  his  handiwork. 

But  what  was  intended  as  an  instrumentality  for  the  horse's 
protection,  under  some  circumstances,  becomes  the  seat  of 
very  great  distress  and  suffering.  Terrible  inflammations  set 
up  in  the  cellular  tissue,  the  leg  becomes  dreadfully  swollen, 
and  the  skin  pufts  out  all  around  the  limb,  as  though  it  had 
been  stuffed  and  pressed  out  to  its  utmost  tension.  The  leg 
grows  very  lame  and  stiff,  and,  after  a  time,  cracks  appear, 
from  which  exudes  a  whitish-yellow,  watery  matter,  similar 
in  appearance  to  that  which  characterizes  cracked  heels.  The 
latter  are  generally,  but  not  always,  found  in  connection  with 
swelled  legs,  and  very  often  the  two  diseases  run  into  each 
other. 

Sometimes  the  swelling  of  the  legs  comes  on  with  aston- 
ishing rapidity — perhaps  in  a  single  night — and  then  disap- 
pears almost  as  suddenly.  Such  phenomena  usually  indicates 
nothing  more  than  sympathy  with  functional  derangement  in 
Bome  other  part  of  the  horse's  frame.  The  disease  has  not 
assumed  its  chronic  form.  What  has  yet  occurred  is  only  a 
premonition  of  worse  things  to  follow.  If  these  warnings 
were  but  understood  and  heeded,  as  they  should  be,  a  pain- 
ful and  obstinate  disease  might  now  easily  be  averted. 

"  Misfortunes  never  come  singly,"  says  the  old  proverb,  and 
rarely  does  the  history  of  this  complaint  tend  to  disprove  its 
truth.  Swelled  legs  is  so  intimately  associated  with  other  dis- 
eases that,  in  many  an  instance,  it  is  an  im*possibility  to  decide 
which  is  the  caug^  and  which  the  effect.  They  are  contin- 
ually running  into  and  aggravating  each  other.  At  the  root 
of  all  of  them,  however,  the  careful  investigator  may  discover 
one  of  two  or  three  primary  diseases,  in  the  great  majority 
of  cases.     These  are  the  diseases  of  the  navicular  and  lower 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  225 

pastern  joints,  and  that  most  fruitful  source  of  mischief  in 
the  horse's  limbs,  hoof  rot. 

All  these  direful  evils  that  wait  upon  the  horse  are  stimu- 
lated, and,  in  fact,  often  brought  into  existence,  by  both  local 
influences    and  constitutional  tendencies.      Under  the  first 
head,  we  include  exposure,  insufficient  or  unwholesome  food,  ^. 
irregular  feeding,  hard  usage,  improper  stable  management,  0; 
and  a  foul  atmosphere;   under  the  other,  a  feeble  state  of 
health,  impurity  of  the  blood,  the  presence  of  fever,  and  the     '^ 
like.     Several  of  these  causes,  acting  together,  can  not  fail 
to  bring  on  one  or  more  of  these  diseases  with  great  celerity. 
Two  of  them,  indeed,  are  often  enough  to  do  the  mischief 
most  efiectually. 

When  the  disease  takes  on  the  form  of  swelled  legs,  local 
inflammation  is  excited  in  the  cellular  membrane.  The  crack- 
ing open  of  the  skin  is  but  Nature's  mode  of  discharging  the 
accumulations  of  diseased  water  beneath,  which  ooze  out  and 
run  down  the  leg. 

The  foregoing  we  believe  to  be  a  fair  history  of  this  affec- 
tion and  its  many  kindred  ones. 

TREATMENT. 

Nothing  can  be  expected  but  that  the  case  will  prove  ob- 
stinate, and  the  improvement  very  gradual.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  treatment,  take  three  quarts  of  blood  from  the 
neck. vein.  Apply  the  corrosive  liniment  with  a  little  mop^jr 
in  the  same  manner  as  directed  for  cracked  heels;  but  this' 
may  be  done  every  morning,  without  any  intermission,  until 
the  swelling  has  entirely  abated.  Give  daily  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  sulphur  and  two  ounces  of -resin,  both  finely  pul- 
verized, for  three  or  four  days.  Put  this  in  some  meal  or 
bran,  and  if  the  horse  does  not  eat  it,  let  him  have  no  other 
food  until  he  does. 

His  diet  should  be  light  and  moist,  pasture  being  preferable. 
Let  him  have  rest,  and  a  good,  clean,  dry  stable,  that  he  may 
make  the  most  of  it.    Keep  him  out  of  the  wet,  especially 
while  doctoring  him. 
15 


226  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

This  treatment  may  be  depended  upon  to  effect  a  cure.  It 
has  done  so  in  a  large  number  of  cases  where  other  remedies 
have  entirely  failed. 

AN   ILLUSTRATIVE    CASE. 

In  support  of  the  statement  just  made,  the  history  of  one 
case  may  be  cited,  from  among  numerous  reminiscences  of  a 
similar  character.     It  occurred  in  the  winter  of  1856-57. 

Colonel  Jarmon,  living  in  "Wilson  County,  Tennessee,  had 
a  young  stable  horse  afflicted  with  a  swelled  leg  of  fearful 
dimensions.  The  disease  was  developed  in  its  most  aggra- 
vated form.  The  hind  leg  had  swollen  until,  from  the  hock 
to  the  hoof,  it  was  a  mass  of  putrid  matter.  It  was  badly 
cracked  open,  and  the  yellow,  watery  discharge  was  flowing 
from  it  abundantly.  Yet  the  general  health  of  the  horse 
was  not  seriously  impaired,  and  there  was  but  little  fever 
except  what  arose  from  the  diseased  leg. 

The  previous  history  of  this  attack  was  a  common  one. 
Disease  of  the  foot  and  bad  stables  were  the  sources  of  all 
the  mischief.  The  whole  list  of  remedies  known  in  that  part 
of  the  country  had  been  tried,  during  several  months  con- 
tinuously, but  with  such  utter  lack  of  success  that  the  horse 
had  grown  worse  and  worse,  and  the  general  opinion  was 
rapidly  settling  down  into  the  conviction  that  it  was  useless 
to  attempt  any  further  treatment. 

At  this  juncture.  Colonel  Jarmon  having  applied  to  the 
author,  the  corrosive  liniment  was  recommended,  and  a  serv- 
ant was  immediately  dispatched  to  Kashville,  where  the 
medicine  was  prepared,  under  our  direction,  and  sent  out  to 
the  farm.  Special  directions  for  its  use  had  been  given  be- 
fore leaving,  and  were  strictly  carried  out.  The  horse  was 
effectually  cured,  and  became  as  sound  and  well  as  ever. 

SWELLED    ANKLES. 

•  This  is  an  affection  of  a  much  milder  type  than  the  pre- 
ceding, and,  as  its  name  implies,  is  confined  almost  entirely 
to  the  ankle  joints.    It  is  intimately  connected  with  swelled 


DISEA3ES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  227 

legs,  of  which  it  is  nearly  always  a  precursor.  Some  horses 
are  extremely  subject  to  swelled  ankles.  At  night  the  parts 
show  no  signs  of  enlargement,  but  in  the  morning  they  are 
much  swollen,  and  manifest  a  considerable  degree  of  heat. 
These  symptoms  disappear  before  night,  and  every  thing 
seems  right  again.  This  condition  of  the  joints  may  last  for 
months,  and  has  been  known  to  trouble  some  horses  for  years. 
That  it  is  attended  with  great  uneasiness  and  some  real  pain 
is  sufficiently  evidenced  by  the  efforts  which  the  horse  is  con- 
tinually making  to  rest  his  feet,  his  disposition  to  lie  down, 
and  the. relief  which  he  manifests  in  doing  so.  In  such  cases, 
a  diseased  condition  of  the  feet  is  invariably  chargeable  with 
these  developments.     . 

Less  frequently  the  origin  of  swelled  ankles  may  be  traced 
to  the  disease  of  the  navicular  and  lower  pastern  joints ;  and 
occasionally  it  seems  to  be  simply  the  result  of  constitutional 
tendencies — a  plethoric  condition,  a  superabundance  of  blood, 
in  connection  with  hard  work  and  severe  straining.  But  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten,  the  evil  proceeds  from  the  hoof  rot. 
The  fever  and  heat  arising  from  the  diseased  condition  of  the 
bottoms  of  the  feet,  inflame  the  membrane  of  the  joint  under 
the  skin,  and  it  enlarges  while  the  horse  is  resting;  but  ex- 
ercise restores  the  healthful  action  of  all  the  parts,  and  the 
swelling  disappears. 

If  the  symptoms  of  sw^elled  ankles  are  not  met  by  appro- 
priate treatment,  swelled  legs,  cracked  heel,  or  scratches  will 
be  almost  certain  to  supervene,  sooner  or  later.   - 

TREATMENT. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  remove  the  cauSe  of  the 
swelling  by  curing  the  bottoms  of  the  feet.  Apply  the  cor- 
rosive liniment  to  them  freely  every  day  for  four  or  five  days ; 
then  omit  for  two  or  three  days,  and  resume  the  applications 
as  before.  Examine  the  heels,  to  see  if  they  show  any  sore- 
ness, or  whether  there  is  any  appearance  of  thrush.  It  may 
be  well  to  apply  the  liniment  to  the  heel  also,  to  be  certain 
to  reach  any  disease  which  may  possibly  be  lurking  there. 


228  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

When  the  bottoms  of  the  feet  are  well,  the  ankles  will  swell 
no  more.  In  those  rare  cases  where  the  swelling  proceeds 
from  plethora,  bleeding  will  be  proper. 

The  best  diet  will  be  something  relaxing.  An  alterative 
will  be  found  beneficial  in  most  cases.  For  this  purpose,  the 
powders  mentioned  in  Section  YII,  of  Chapter  XXIV,  may 
be  employed. 

SURFEIT. 

Unlike  the  disorders  we  have  been  thus  far  considering 
in  this  chapter,  surfeit  is  a  general  disease  of  the  skin,  in- 
stead of  a  local  affection.  It  is  usually  of  a  mild  type  in  this 
country,  and  seldom  does  any  particular  injury;  and  if  the 
horse  can  have  the  privilege  of  a  good  pasture,  it  will  gen- 
erally go  away  of  itself.  It  generally  makes  its  appearance 
in  the  spring,  either  at  the  time  of  shedding,  or  immediately 
afterward,  when  the  skin  is  more  nearly  bared  and  exposed 
than  at  any  other  period  of  the  year. 

Surfeit  always  indicates  a  thick  and  impure  state  of  the 
blood.  It  is  not  often  an  evidence  of  a  settled  unhealthful- 
ness  of  the  general  system,  or  of  any  chronic  disease ;  for 
sometimes  the  best  of  horses  are  troubled  with  it.  But  it 
♦  does  tell,  very  frequently,  of  neglectful  keeping  and  poor 
stables,  although  horses  occasionally  have  it  amid  the  most 
favorable  surroundings  possible. 

The  blood  being  too  thick  and  the  circulation  too  slug- 
gish, when  the  hair  falls  oft",  the  skin  is  suddenly  exposed  to 
the  variations  of  temperature,  and  other  atmospheric  condi- 
tions, and,  perhaps,  to  cold  rains  and  winds.  The  horse  is 
chilled,  slight  inflammation  arises,  and  the  cuticle  of  the  skin 
becomes  hard  and  dry^  from  the  closing  of  the  pores  and  the 
retention  of  the  oily  secretions,  whose  proper  office  is  to 
moisten  and  lubricate  the  surface.  Little  pustules  appear 
upon  the  skin,  and  from  the  tops  of  these  exudes  a  thin, 
whitish,  oily  matter.  It  is  the  long-pent-up  unctuous  secre- 
tion which  is  now  escaping,  somewhat  changed  by  disease. 
It  flows  only  in  very  minute  quantities,  and  not  much  faster 
than  in  health.     The  little,  scabby  excrescences  which  it 


DISEASES 'OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EABS.  229 

forms  upon  the  skin,  thickly  cover  the  shoulders,  neck,  sides, 
and  the  back  parts  of  the  fore-legs. 

When  the  skin  is  in  the  feverish  condition  that  often  char- 
acterizes it  about  th*e  time  of  shedding,  a  variety  of  causes 
may  produce  a  determination  to  surfeit.  The  eruptions  may 
be  thrown  out  very  suddenly,  not  only  by  exposure  to  cold, 
but  by  the  horse  cooling  off  very  quickly  after  having  been 
overheated,  or  by  drinking  large  quantities  of  water.  They 
sometimes  make  their  appearance  in  the  course  of  a  single 
night. 

A  species  of  quick  surfeit  is  sometimes  the  occasion  of 
great  alarm  to  the  inexperienced,  from  the  apprehension  that 
it  was  farcy,  by  which  name  surfeit  is  called  by  thousands 
of  American  farmers  at  this  day ;  but  it  has  none  of  the  dis- 
tinctive symptoms  of  that  fearful  scourge.  Surfeit  may,  very 
rarely,  degenerate  into  farcy,  but  this  can  only  be  when  other 
powerful  predisposing  causes  tend  to  the  same  result.  A 
number  of  other  diseases  will  be  more  likely  to  run  into 
farcy  than  will  this  simple  affection  of  the  skin.  This  sub- 
ject has  already  been  adverted  to  in  the  section  on  Farcy, 
in  Chapter  Y. 

TREATMENT. 

Not  much  is  called  for  in  the  way  of  treatment.  Bleed 
freely,  taking  three  quarts  of  blood  from  the  neck  vein,  and 
give  two  of  the  ordinary  doses  of  sulphur  and  resin.  If  the 
case  seems  obstinate,  anoint  the  surface  on  which  the  surfeit- 
knots  have  broken  out  with  a  mixture  of  sulphur  and  lard, 
a  spoonful  of  each.  Do  this  at  night,  once  or  twice.  Turn 
the  horse  out  to  pasture,  let  him  have  a  few  days'  rest,  and 
all  will  come  out  right.  •  ^ 

MANGE. 

Mange  is  the  only  disease  into  which  there  is  much  dan- 
ger that  surfeit  may  degenerate.  They  are  of  the  same  type, 
but  mange  is  much  more  aggravated  than  the  other,  and  is 
also  highly  contagious.     They  are  produced  by  the  same  in- 


230  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

fluences ;  but  while  surfeit  may  run  into  mange,  maqge  is 
entirely  beyond  surfeit. 

This  disease  is  the  offspring  of  negligence  and  filth,  and  is 
generally  found  in  connection  with  emaciation  and  poverty. 
A  horse  in  good  condition  may  have  surfeit,  but  even  if  the 
infection  of  mange  should  be  communicated  to  him,  it  will 
never  reduce  him  to  the  condition  that  farmers  term  mangy. 
The  very  idea  of  mange  is  universally  associated  with  star- 
vation, wretchedness,  and  misery ;  and  an  old,  poor,  mangy 
horse,  out  on  the  bleak  commons  or  in  an  old  field,  tells 
such  a  history  more  plainly  than  could  any  words. 

The  first  appearance  of  the  disease  is  a  scabby  eruption 
of  the  skin.  The  cuticle,  or  scarfskin,  becomes  broken  into 
little  pieces  like  scales,  which  peel  off*,  leaving  the  parts  be- 
neath raw  and  sore,  and  often  bleeding.  Before  this,  the 
hair  will  have  come  off,  exposing  the  skin,  which  presents  a 
dirty,  brown  appeaj'ance,  and  is  loose,  flabby,  and  puckered. 
It  is  covered  with  sqales,  and  raw,  red  spots.  A  terrible, 
burning  itching  accompanies  these  symptoms,  by  which  the 
horse  is  impelled  to  a  continual  rubbing,  until  it  seems  as  if 
he  would  tear  the  skin  off.  Every-where  he  rubs  he  leaves 
the  scurf,  or  dandruff,  and  every  animal  that  repeats  the  ope- 
ration at  the  same  place  is  liable  to  take  tne  disease,  and  is 
very  certain  to  do  so  if  he  is  poor  and  feeble.  Mange  is  ex- 
ceedingly infectious;  but,  although  cattle,  hogs,  and  even 
dogs  m^y  receive  the  disease  from  horses,  it  is  never  com- 
municated by  them  to  the  latter. 

The  least  contact,  however,  is  sufficient  to  impart  the  dis- 
ease from  one  horse  to  another.  It  is  very  dangerous  to  use 
the  same  brush  or  curry-comb  for  a  well  horse  that  is  em- 
ployed in  grooming  a  mangy  one,  or  to  make  a  similar  ex- 
change of  collars.  Infection  seems  to  be  communicated  to 
the  stable  also,  but  may  easily  be  counteracted  in  the  man- 
ner we  shall  lay  down  shortly. 

Cases  of  this  disease  are  more  rare  than  formerly,  thanks 
to  the  bettered  condition  of  the  American  horse,  from  the 
increasing  enlightenment  of  our  farmers.     Judging  from  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.,  281 

descriptions  which  the  English  veterinarians  give  of  mange, 
it  must  exist  in  a  materially  worse  form  in  Great  Britain  and 
on  the  continent  than  in  this  country.  So  mild  are  many 
cases  here,  that  a  single  hleeding,  with  the  run  of  a  good 
pasture,  will  bring  about  a  cure  almost  without  medication 
or  other  treatment  of  any  sort. 

The  disease  may  be  successfully  treated  in  all  its  stages, 
but  will  hold  out  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  time  it  has 
been  running,  and  the  reduction  of  flesh,  strength,  and  vigor 
which  it  has  occasioned.  A  lean,  emaciated,  mangy  horse 
it  is  a  no  small  task  to  cure,  while  one  with  tolerable  flesh 
and  scarcely  impaired  health  will  recover  with  the  aid  of 
but  very  light  treatment. 

In  the  case  of  the  poor,  feeble  animal,  liie  disease  is  con- 
stitutional. It  has  been  brought  into  being  by  poverty  and 
debility,-  by  the  lack  of  a  suflScient  degree  of  vital  energy  to 
throw  out  the  unctuous  secretions  to  the  surface  of  the  skin. 
It  aftects  the  blood  and  general  system  to  a  sad  extent. 
Constitutional  remedies  will  here  prove  absolutely  essential. 
In  the  case  of  the  horse  in  a  passable  condition  of  health  and 
strength,  mange  is  the  result  of  infection  only,  and  extends 
its  effects  little,  if  at  all,  beyond  the  skin  itself.  Local  treat- 
ment will  readily  remove  it,  and,  as  before  intimated,  the 
forces  of  iN'ature  will  sometimes  prove  almost  sufficient  to 
throw  it  off  without  additional  assistance. 

TREATMENT. 

Bleed  the  horse  in  proportion  to  the  hold  which  the  dis- 
ease seems  to  have  secured  upon  the  system.  We  do  not 
believe,  with  the  majority  of  writers,  that  moderate  bleeding 
of  the  horse,  while  diseased,  tends  to  enfeeble  him.  Our  ex- 
perience leads  to  an  entirely  opposite  conclusion.  We  have 
repeatedly  taken  the  diseased  horse  when  so  low  that  he 
could  not  rise  to  his  feet  without  help,  and,  after  bleeding 
him  freely,  have  seen  him  begin  to  amend  from  that  time,  and 
continue  to  improve  until  quite  well.  This  subject  will  be  more 
fully  discussed  in  the  section  on  Bleeding,  in  Chapter  XV. 


282  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Bleeding,  then,  is  indispensable — one  time  in  a  moderate 
case,  and  twice  in  an  extreme  one.  Three  quarts  will  be 
about  the  average  quantity  of  blood  to  be  taken,  which  should 
be  from  the  neck  vein.  If  a  second  bleeding  is  resorted  to, 
it  should  be  ten  days  after  the  first. 

Anoint  the  entire  mangy  surface  with  the  mercurial  salve, 
applying  it  with  a  little  mop  or  rag,  and  rub  it  in  thor- 
oughly. Use  as  small  a  quantity  of  salve  as  can  be  made  to 
effect  the  purpose  intended,  which  is  to  spread  a  thin  coat- 
ing of  it  over  the  entire  skin.  As  a  general  thing,  one  ap- 
plication will  be  enough.  If  it  is  necessary  to  repeat  it, 
however,  wash  off  the  mangy  surface  with  strong  soap  and 
water,  and,  as  soon  as  the  skin  is  dry,  apply  the  salve  again, 
as  before. 

Another  remedy  is  to  make  a  salve  by  using  equal  parts 
of  the  corrosive  liniment,  sulphur,  and  lard.  These,  well 
mixed,  and  applied  as  directed  in  the  last  paragraph  for  the 
mercurial  salve,  will  effectually  kill  the  mange.  The  corro- 
sive liniment  should  be  well  shaken  before  being  turned  out. 
It  will  be  better  to  use  a  very  little  of  this  ointment  and  rub 
it  in  thoroughly,  than  to  apply  a  much  larger  quantity  with- 
out the  rubbing. 

The  next  step  in  the  treatment  will  be  to  give  the  old  and 
reliable  remedy,  sulphur  and  resin.  A  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  sulphur  and  two  ounces  of  very  finely  pulverized  resin 
will  constitute  the  dose.  Give  this  every  third  day,  for  a 
period  of  twelve  or  fifteen  days. 

After  this,  the  best  medicine  will  be  that  furnished  by  a 
good,  green  pasture,  which  will  do  more  to  "bring  out"  a 
mangy  horse  than  any  thing  else  in  the  world.  At  night  put 
him  up  in  a  dry,  clean  stable,  and  let  him  have  plenty  of  oats 
or  chop-feed.  Poverty  has  been  the  cause  of  the  mischief. 
You  should  labor  to  improve  his  condition  and  flesh.  Fill 
out  his  flabby,  puckered  skin  with  sound,  healthy  muscle, 
and  mange  will  disappear.  It  can  not  live  and  flourish  in 
connection  with  proper  care  and  a  good  condition  of  the 
horse. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  -  ^g^ 

As  regards  infection,  all  danger  will  cease  as  soon  as  the 
salve  has  been  applied.  The  stables  should  be  washed  with 
strong  lye  or  a  decoction  of  tobacco.  A  solution  of  sulphur, 
or  chloride  of  lime  and  water,  will  form  an  excellent  substi- 
tute for  this  purpose.  Any  one  of  these  will  entirely  destroy 
the  infection. 

If  a  horse,  in  good  condition,  has  taken  the  disease  by 
rubbing  after  a  mangy  companion,  the  bleeding  may  be 
omitted  altogether.  The  remainder  of  the  treatment  should 
be  carried  out,  except  that,  in  his  case,  only  two  doses  of 
sulphur  and  resin  need  be  given. 

HIDE-BOUND. 

This  is  a  skin  disease  of  a  peculiar  character.  Although 
similar  to  the  mange  in  respect  to  the  causes  which  produce 
it,  it  is  neither  an  infectious  nor  an  eruptive  disorder,  and 
the  condition  of  the  skin  is  the  very  reverse  of  flabby  and 
puckered.  The  flow  of  the  unctuous,  lubricating  fluid  through 
the  pores  is  entirely  suspended,  and  the  hide  becomes  dry  and 
hard,  not  unlike  what  it  would  be  if  it  were  taken  ofi"  and 
hung  upon  the  fence  to  dry.  While  hide-bound  is  a  very 
distinctive  name,  the  term  dry-hide  would  be  equally  appro- 
priate, or  perhaps  still  more  so. 

It  is  an  affection  not  only  of  the  cellular  membrane,  and 
the  watery  secretions  contained  in  its  little  sacs,  but  also  of 
the  skin  itself.  Not  long  does  this  remain  dry  and  hard  be- 
fore it  loses  all  its  flexibility.  It  adheres  closely,  almost  im- 
movably, to  the  ribs,  the  legs,  the  neck,  and,  in  fact,  to  every 
portion  of  the  .body;  and  it  becomes  utterly  impossible  to 
gather  it  up  in  folds  with  the  hand,  as  one  can  easily  do 
when  the  horse  is  in  health.  The  hair,  robbed  of  that  bright- 
ness and  glossiness  which  is  its  peculiar  beauty  in  the  ar- 
rangements of  ITature,  looks  dry  and  dingy,  like  the  hair 
upon  a  dead  hide. 

Hide-bound  indicates  a  diseased  condition  of  the  system, 
generally  from  derangement  of  the  vital  functions.  The 
blood  is  thick,  dark,  and  feverish,  and  the  circulatory  and  se- 


234  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

cretive  processes  morbidly  and  duggishly  performed.  How 
greatly  digestion  is  impaired  is  shown  by  the  appearance  of 
the  excrement,  which  is  dry,  hard,  and  black. 

It  is  not  so  much  itself  a  disease  as  it  is  the  fearful  eftects 
of  some  other  disorder  raging  in  the  animal's  system.  It  is 
an  invariable  accompaniment  of  big  head.  Glanders  will 
produce  it,  and  so  will  farcy,  founder,  and  distemper.  Bad 
cases  of  swinney,  big  shoulder,  and  lock-jaw,  have  this  among 
their  final  developments.  The  fever  which  attends  these 
dreadful  complaints  dries  up  the  watery  secretions  of  the 
system,  and  the  hide  shrinks  and  shrivels  closely  to  the 
body. 

,      ,  TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  will  be  prolonged  and  tedious,  and  will  be 
productive  of  results  but  slowly.  Especial  attention  must  be 
paid  to  the  disease  which  has  brought  on  such  a  condition 
of  the  skin,  and  not  until  that  has  been  cured  can  we  hope 
for  a  favorable  change  in  respect  to  the  latter.  The  predis- 
posing disease,  whatever  it  may  be,  must  be  treated  directly, 
as  prescribed  elsewhere,  in  its  proper  place. 

Bleed  three  times,  at  intervals  of  ten  days.  The  first  time, 
take  four  quarts  of  blood ;  afterward,  two.  Give  the  "jim- 
son"  seed- every  third  day,  until  the  stiffness  has  been  en- 
tirely removed.  Of  this  a  table-spoonful  is  the  proper  dose. 
Let  the  horse  have  plenty  of  sulphur  and  resin,  in  the  usual 
proportions.  Especial  attention  must  be  bestowed  upon  the 
horse's  diet  and  to  stable  regulations.  Instructions  have  been 
so  fully  given  in  regard  to  these  points  in  the  preceding  sec- 
tions of  this  chapter,  that  there  can  be  no  necessity  for  re- 
peating them  here.  Pasturing  will  do  more  than  medica- 
tion to  cure  hide-bound. 

STIFF   COMPLAINT. 

This  seems  to  be  a  disease  almost  peculiar  to  the  Southern 
States.  It  is  another  and  aggravated  development  of  the 
symptoms  of  hide-bound.     The  skin  is  dreadfully  dry  and 


■'*■■' 

DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  235 

contracted,  fitting  so  closely  about  the  joints  that  they  lose 
their  suppleness  and  grow  so  stiff  that  the  horse  can  not 
mo^^e  them  without  painful  exertion.  The  muscles  and  ten- 
dons, especially  those  of  the  legs,  become  stiff,  and  fairly  seem 
to  contract.  The  horse's  movements,  thus  seriously  retarded, 
are  dull,  heavy,  and  stumbling. 

TREATMENT. 

Bleed  copiously  from  the  neck  vein,  removing  at  least  a 
gallon  of  blood.  This  will  relax  the  system  and  stimulate 
the  lagging  or  suspended  functions  of  Secretion.  The  ne- 
cessity for  bleeding  arises,  not  from  a  superabundance  of 
blood,  but  from  its  diseased  condition,  which  retards  it  proper 
circulation,  and  eventuates  in  more  or  less  of  fever  and 
inflammation.  The  absorbents  of  the  system  act  .with  such 
diflSculty  that  medication  is  of  little  service  as  a  means  of 
purifying  the  blood.  In  fact,  our  experience  has  convinced 
us  that  alteratives,  so  called,  do  more  harm  than  good  during 
such  a  *state  of  suspended  functions;  for  they  can  not  be 
taken  up  in  any  quantities  and  conveyed  into  the  circulation, 
but  linger  in  the  stomach  and  intestinal  canal,  which  they 
irritate,  and  tbns,  instead  of  allaying  fever,  actually  excite  it. 
The  benefit  of  bleeding  is  that  it  prepares  tne  way  for  alter- 
atives to  act  promptly  and  energetically. 

Bleed  copiously  two  or  three  times,  as  directed  for  hide- 
bound, the  blood  being  permitted  to  flow  until  it  changes 
from  a  dark,  almost  black,  color  to  a  bright,  healthful  red, 
or  until  the  pulse  falters.  This  course  will  relax  the  system, 
and  relieve  the  vessels  of  their  impure,  turgid  blood. 

The  "jimson"  seed,  which  is  perhaps  the  most  powerful- 
alterative  in  the  world,  meets  this  case  exactly.  It  enters 
freely  and  rapidly  into  the  blood,  relaxes  the  capillaries,  opens 
the  pores,  and  sends  out  the  retarded  secretions  to  soften  the 
skin  once  more.  Give  a  table-spoonful  of  the  seed,  each 
morning,  in  some  meal  or  bran,  until  the  patient  gets  better. 
Let  the  horse  have  an  abundance  of  sulphur  and  resin  at  the 
same  time,  the  ordinary  dose  every  other  day,  in  some  meal 


236  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

or  bran,  which  compel  him  to  eat  by  giving  nothing  else  until 
it  is  gone.  • 

A  horse  with  stiff  complaint  must  have  rest.  ]N"o  one  pos- 
sessed of  any  feeling  would  put  such  an  animal  to  service, 
when  every  movement  must  give  him  pain. 

WARTS. 

These  are  little  tumors  or  excrescences,  of  various  sizes  and 
shapes,  that  come  upon  the  horse's  skin,  generally  accom- 
panying plethora,  high  feeding,  and  limited  exercise.  Young 
horses  are  oftener  annoyed  by  them  than  older  ones.  Jacks 
are*  seldom  free  from  them.  They  are  of  two  kinds — seed 
and  blood  warts. 

Seed  warts  are  generally  small,  and  usually  make  their 
appearance  on  the  eyelids,  the  nose,  and  the  sheath,  and  ad- 
joining portions  of  the  belly.  They  grow  in  patches,  and 
have  little  hard  points,  or  grains,  which  are  known  by  the 
name  of  seeds.  They  have  a  connection  with  the  cuticle, 
and  extend  downward  to  the  cellular  membrane,  which  is 
the  source  of  supply  to  their  growth.  At  the  base  of  each  seed,' 
where  it  has  its  origin  in  this  membrane,  is  what  is  popularly 
called  its  root,  which  must  be  destroyed  in  order  to  remove 
the  wart.  Seed  warts  indicate  a  morbid  condition  of  the 
humors  of  the  skin,  but  do  very  little  harm,  and  often  go 
away  of  themselves. 

Blood  warts  are  more  serious  affairs.  They  are  a  fungous 
growth  of  flesh  from  the  cellular  membrane,  are  of  a  spongy 
texture,  and  filled  with  little  vessicles  from  which  blood  ex- 
udes freely  upon  every  slight  irritation.  Their  favorite  loca- 
tions are  the  hock  and  knee-joints  and  the  pasterns.  Some- 
times they  are  found  upon  the  sheath  and  neighboring  parts. 
They  are  most  numerous  upon  those  surfaces  where  there  is 
unusual  irritation,  or  where  foulness  of  any  kind  is  permitted 
to  collect;  but,  like  seed  warts,  they  have  been  known  to 
grow  on  all  parts  of  the  body. 

The  blood  wart  is  always  disposed  to  spread  and  enlarge, 
and  on  the  knee  or  pastern  will  sometimes  extend  entirely 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS."^'  237 

around  the  joint.  When  one  makes  its  appearance,  it  is  to 
be  regarded  as  only  the  harbinger  of  many  more.  In  the 
winter  of  1858-9,  we  saw  a  wart  on  the  pastern  of  the  hind 
leg  of  a  horse,  encircling  the  whole  joint,  which  was  nearly 
twenty  inches  in  circumference.  It  consisted  of  ^ve  or  six 
excrescences  of  different  sizes,  each  of  them  very  sore,  raw, 
and  bleeding.  The  animal  was  a  fine  young  mare,  of  good 
size  and  form,  but  at  that  time  feverish  and  in  quite  low 
condition. 

The  blood  wart  is  occasionally  found  hanging  in  the  form 
of  a  pellet,  connected  with  the  skin  by  a  neck  or  stem.  When 
this  is  the  case,  it  is  easily  removed. 

TREATMENT. 

If  the  wart  is  of  the  kind  mentioned  in  the  last  paragraph, 
tie  a  waxed  cord  around  the  little  stem  of  the  waft  as  tightly 
as  it  can  be  .drawn.  This  completely  stops  the  circulation, 
and,  of  course,  cuts  off  all  nutrition;  and,  in  a  few  days,  the 
stem  will  separate  from  its  connection,  so  that  the  wart  will 
drop  off. 

In  treating  other  warts,  a  strong  solution  of  caustic  potash 
will  be  the  best  remedy  for  eating  down  the  excrescence  and 
killing  the  seed.  Take  of  crude  potash  about  one  pound,  and, 
after  allowing  it  to  remain  exposed  to  the  air  until  it  dissolves, 
add  a  small  quantity  of  water.  Touch  the  end  of  the  wart 
each  morning — or,  still  better,  each  morning  and  evening — 
with  this  solution,  by  means  of  a  little  mop.  After  each  ap- 
plication, the  dead  matter  on  the  top  of  the  wart  should  be 
scraped  or  thoroughly  washed  off  before  making  another. 
Three  or  four  days  will  be  long  enough  to  use  the  solution 
continuously.    Then  omit  two  days,  and  apply  again  as  before. 

Great  caution  will  be  necessary,  not  only  in  confining  the 
application  to  the  wart,  but  also  to  prevent  the  potash  from 
afterward  spreading  to  the  healthy  surface  adjoining.  Severe 
sores  have  sometimes  resulted  from  a  careless  use  of  this 
powerful  caustic.  To  guard  against  the  possibility  of  such 
injuries,  take  a  thick  piece  of  paper  and  cut  a  hole  through 


238  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

it  of  the  exact  size  of  the  wart,  and,  having  lain  it  upon  the 
latter  so  that  the  top  of  the  wart  will  protrude  through  the 
opening,  apply  the  caustic  solution,  as  before  directed.  A  still 
better  method,  and  the  one  which  should  always  be  pursued 
in  cases  of  blood  warts,  is  to  surround  the  wart  with  a  coat 
of  tallow  for  about  half  an  inch,  on  all  sides,  and  then  apply 
the  caustic. 

For  blood  warts,  the  application  may  be  continued  each 
morning  and  evening,  without  intermission,  until  they  are 
destroyed.  Sometimes  the  wart  will  bleed  too  freely  while 
undergoing  this  treatment,  and,  in  very  extreme  cases,  it 
may  be  necessary  to  check  this  by  searing  with  a  hot  iron. 
After  this,  suspend  treatment  for  two  or  three  days.  Should 
the  legs  swell  badly,  as  they  often  do,  intermit  the  applica- 
tions in  the  same  way.  As  a  rule,  however,  the  practition- 
er's efforts  for  eradicating  .blood  warts  can  not  well  be  too 
vigorously  prosecuted.  In  very  bad  cases,  he  should  begin 
by  bleeding,  in  order  .to  relieve  the  overloaded  vessels ;  and 
he  might  profitably  substitute  diluted  nitric  acid  for  the  so- 
lution of  potash.  But  this  must  be  handled  with  the  utmost 
.possible  caution,  following  the  directions  above  given. 

As  soon  as  the  wart  is  properly  reduced,  apply  a  small 
quantity  of  the  corrosive  liniment,  each  morning,  with  a 
little  mop.  Continue  thus  for  four  days;  then  omit  for  as 
many  more,  and  apply  again.  During  the  periods  of  inter- 
mission, the  wart  should  be  kept  well  greased,  coal  oil  being 
better  for  this  purpose  than  any  thing  else.  Before  applying 
the  liniment  again,  the  oil*  or  grease  must  be  thoroughly 
washed  off  with  soap  and  water. 

The  removal  of  small  seed  warts  will  not  require  such  vig- 
orous measures  as  those  above  laid  down.  Bleeding  from  the 
neck  vein,  with  two  or  three  doses  of  sulphur  and  resin,  will 
generally  exterminate  these  little  fellows.  Sometimes  they 
disappear  without  treatment  of  any  kind.  Unless  they  come 
on  the  joints,  they  are  not  worth  troubling  about.  The 
usual  diminutive  seed  warts  on  the  nose  and  eyelids  may  be 
suffered  to  remain  undisturbed. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EABS.  239 

^N'ot  SO  with  the  blood  wart,  however  small  its  first  ap- 
pearance. Attack  this  at  once,  for  now  it  may  be  easily 
conquered,  while  continued  neglect  ma}^  enable  it  to  attain 
such  strength  and  vigor  as  to  defy  all  treatment. 

Some  danger  attends  cutting  off  a  large  w^art,  from*  the 
obstinate  hemorrhage  which  may  ensue.  Only  the  searing 
will  close  the  vein  in  such  a  case,  and  this  may  give  rise  to 
a  dreadful  inflammation. 

SORE   NOSE. 

The  noses  of  many  horses  are  sometimes  discovered  to  be 
sore,  and  incrusted  with  scabs,  when  no  other  disease  is  ap- 
parent. This  condition  may  be  the  result  of  constitutional 
debility;  but  it  is,  in  the  Southern  States,  more  frequently 
produced  by  a  certain  poisonous  weed  that  grows  in  those 
latitudes,  and  which,  from  its  peculiar  effects  upon  "the  horse, 
is  there  known  as  "sneeze-weed."  It  is  a  plant,  growing 
about  one  and  a  half  feet  high,  and  stands  very  thickly 
upon  the  ground,  which,  at  some  seasons,  is  covered  with 
the  old  petals  of  its  yellow  blossoms  and  the  leaves  which 
fall  from  its  stalks.  The  tine  particles  of  these  the  horse 
snuffs  up  into  his  nose,  when  grazing  near  the  weed,  and 
they  create  sores  upon  the  outside  of  the  nostril.  Especially 
is  this  the  case  when  the  animal  feeds  in  such  places  early 
in  the  morning,  before  the  dew  is  gone.  At  that  time,  the 
green  weed  itself  will  poison  the  nose.  Young  colts  are  the 
most  easily  affected  by  these  agencies,  and  very  often  have 
noses  perfectly  covered  with  scabs.  At  one  time,  the  opin- 
ion was  almost  universal  at  the  South  that  "  sneeze-weed " 
would  kill,  not  only  horses,  but  even  cattle;  but,  although 
extremely  poisonous,  there  is  no  sufficient  ground  for  believ- 
ing it  to  be  so  deadly  as  this. 

The  nose  is  frequently  j)oisoned  by  other  weeds  and  vines, 
many  of  which,  though  perfectly  harmless  when  taken  into 
the  stomach,  will  seriously  irritate  and  fester  the  skin.  The 
"jimson  weed"  will  poison  the  nose  of  cattle  and  sheep  as 
well  as  of  horses ;  and  yet  all  of  them  have  been  known  to 


240  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

eat  quantities  of  both  its  leaves  and  buds,  not  only  witboul 
detriment,  but  with  positive  benefit  to  health. 

TREATMENT. 

The  mercurial  salve  will  be  the  proper  remedy  in  this  case. 
Apply  a  very  thin  coat  of  it  to  the  sore  parts,  and  rub  it  in 
well  with  a  little  mop.  It  may  be  best  to  mix  the  salve  with 
equal  parts  of  lard  and  sulphur  before  using  it  thus.  Anoint 
the  parts  each  morning,  until  the  sores  and  scabs  are  all 
gone. 

SADDLE   GALLS. 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  the  back  of  the  horse 
to  become  chafed  and  raw  from  the  unequal  pressure  of  the 
saddle;  and  sometimes  this  condition  continues  until  trouble- 
some tumors  are  formed.  After  a  time,  these  break,  and  dis- 
charge considerable  quantities  of  matter.  The  same  conse- 
quences may  proceed  from  the  severe  pressure  of  other  por- 
tions of  the  harness  besides  the  saddle. 

These  injuries  of  the  back  have  taken  different  names,  ac- 
cording to  the  various  phases  which  they  assume,  from  the 
first  chafing  of  the  skin  to  the  final  ulceration  of  the  tumor. 
Patches  of  skin,  under  the  saddle,  often  appear  dead  and 
destitute  of  blood,  and  these  are  called  "warbles."  When 
they  ulcerate  and  discharge  pus,  they  are  termed  "  sit-fasts." 
After  the  tumor  has  gone,  the  saddle  is  often  replaced  too 
soon,  before  the  parts  have  entirely  healed,  and  while  there 
is  yet  considerable  tenderness.  The  rubbing  now  occasions 
a  hard,  almost  horny  excrescence,  and  this  has  strangely  re- 
ceived the  name  of  "  navel  gall,"  in  consequence  of  its  loca- 
tion upon  the  back,  opposite  the  navel. 

So  many  names,  for  what  is  substantially  the  same  trouble, 
tend  to  confusion,  and  are  certainly  altogether  unnecessary. 
Saddle  galls  they  all  were  in  the  beginning,  and  saddle  galls 
they  may  be  appropriately  designated  under  all  after  devel- 
opments. 


# 

•  .4- 

DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  241 

0 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  will  necessarily  vary  somewhat,  according 
to  the  circumstances  in  which  the  horse,  and  the  person 
using  him,  happen  to  be  placed.  If  at  home,  the  first  and 
essential  thing  to  do  is  to  let  the  animal  rest.  Do  not  put 
a  saddle  on  him  until  he  is  entirely  well.  In  all  stages  of 
the  complaint,  use  the  corrosive  liniment,  which  will  readily 
heal  the  sore,  in  all  cases,  if  the  horse  is  exempt  from  serv- 
ice under  the  s.addle.  Continue  to  apply  it  daily,  with  a 
little  mop,  always  drying  it  in  well  with  a  hot  iron,  until 
the  cure  is  completed. 

But  it  may  be  the  traveler's  misfortune,  when  far  away 
from  home,  to  find  that  the  back  of  his  horse  has  become 
badly  galled  with  the  saddle,  and  this  in  warm  weather 
especially;  or  perhaps  the  skin  of  the  back  is  scalded  from 
the  use  of  a  woolen  blanket,  forming  a  worse  sore  than  even 
saddle  galls.  At  any  rate,  his  horse  is  in  no  condition  to 
bear  the  saddle ;  yet  he  must  ride  the  poor  creature,  or  else 
dispose  of  him  at  a  sacrifice,  and  hurry  forward  by  some 
other  mode  of  conveyance.  In  such  a  predicament,  the 
knowledge  of  some  means,  either  to  cure  the  sore  back  or 
to  remove  pressure  from  it,  when  the  saddle  is  being  worn, 
would  be  not  merely  of  pecuniary  benefit,  but,  to  every  hu- 
mane person,  it  would  prove  a  source  of  real  pleasure. 

Such  means  we  can  easily  suggest.  As  soon  as  the  con- 
dition of  the  back  is  discovered,  wash  the  sore  with  clean, 
cold  w^ater,  and,  when  dry,  cover  it  entirely  over  with  a 
piece  of  adhesive  plaster.  This  must  first  be  heated,  of 
course,  until  the  salve  with  which  it  is  coated  has  been 
melted,  and  it  must  then  be  applied  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  pressed  down  with  the  hands.  The  best  plan  is  to  carry 
«ome  live  coals  from  the  fire,  or  a  hot  iron,  close  to  the 
horse,  and  there  heat  the  plaster.  If  the  back  is  greatly 
swollen,  and  matter  has  formed,  cut  a  hole  in  the  center  of 
the  plaster,  before  putting  it  on,  so  that  the  matter  can 
escape  readily. 
16 


IL 


242  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Such  a  plaster  will  eotirely  prevent  the  friction  of  the 
saddle  or  blanket,  while  the  salve  upon  it  is  very  healing. 
It  also  excludes  the  air,  and  is  almost  equivalent  to  a  new 
piece  of  skin.  Using  it  thus  is  emphatically  patching  the 
horse's  back.  Should  the  plaster  come  8ff,  apply  another 
immediately.  If  an  ulcerated  sore  has  formed,  either  a  hole 
may  be  cut  in  the  blanket,  so  as  to  relieve  the  part  from 
pressure,  or  the  blanket  may  be  folded  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  lift  the  saddle  from  the  sore  entirely. 

With  this  treatment,  the  horse  may  be  ridden  constantly, 
and  the  saddle  gall  will  not  only  grow  no  worse,  but  will 
slowly  heal.  But  it  can  be  recommended  only  in  the  case 
we  have  supposed.  When  the  horse  can  be  at  home,  no 
saddle  should  be  allowed  to  touch  his  back  until  it  is  quite 
well  again. 

IN  JURIES  <  OF   THE   EAB. 

Among  the  many  cruelties  practiced  upon  the  horse  is 
that  of  pinching  and  pulling  the  ears.  If  the  animal  is  rest- 
less or  fractious  while  shoeing,  many  blacksmiths  have  a 
fashion  of  taking  hold  of  the  ear  with  their  pincers;  and 
should  he  rebel  against  such  usage,  he  is  pulled  by  the  ear 
with  all  the  strength  which  the  smith  can  exert,  or  that  of 
some  assistant  who  holds  him  while  the  shoe  is  being  fast- 
ened. Other  persons  habitually  pursue  the  same  course  when 
they  wish  to  control  a  wild  or  fractious  horse. 

By  such  means  the  ear  is  often  badly  injured,  and  the  ten- 
dons which  sustain  it  in  its  erect  position  being  broken,  it 
drops  down  to  one  side.  The  horse  no  longer  has  any  con- 
trol over  it,  and  it  flaps  about  with  every  motion  of  the 
head  and  neck.  Serious  ulcers  are  sometimes  the  conse- 
quences of  these  lesions  of  the  muscles  and  cartilages  of  the 
ear;  and  cases  have  occurred  where  the  same  causes  proi 
duced  a  running  sore,  similar  to  poll-evil,  on  the  upper  side 
of  the  ear,  near  the  head. 

But  these  abuses  occasionally  result  in  still  graver  disorders. 
Ulcers  have  been  formed  in  the  cavities  of  the  ear  within 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  243 

the  head,  especially  from  blows  inflicted  upon  the  latter  at 
the  origin  of  the  ear.  Some  persons  are  so  ill-tempered  and 
furious  that,  if  the  horse  does  not  obey  the  slightest  intima- 
tions of  their  will,  they  rush  for  the  nearest  cudgel,  and 
commence  beating  him  over  the  head. 

Permanent  deafness  is  not  unfrequently  caused  by  such 
violence.  There  are  many  horses  in  this  country  either 
w^holly  or  partially  deaf  in  one  or  both  ears.  How^  common 
it  is  to  find  horses  that  seem  never  to  hear  any  commands 
unless  given  in  a  very  loud  tone  of  voice,  and  then  they 
start  suddenly,  as  though  only  just  conscious  of  having  been 
spoken  to.  Sometimes  the  hearing  is  perfect  upon  one  side, 
but  on  the  other  it  is  gone  entirely. 

TREATMENT. 

If  the  trouble  is  all  upon  the  outside,  the  treatment  for  fis- 
tula should  be  employed.  If  there  is  nothing  more  than  a 
swelling  or  tumor  just  beginning,  apply  the  corrosive  lini- 
ment; but  use  the  May-apple  liniment  when  matter  is  al- 
ready forming.  Should  there  be  an  abscess  on  the  outside, 
open  it  at  its  lower  extremity,  and  let  the  lancet  slant  up- 
ward into  the  tumor. 

In  case  the  injury  is  within  the  cavities  of  the  head,  little 
can  be  done  either  to  relieve  or  cure.  Sometimes,  however, 
relief  can  be  given  by  ejecting  into  the  ear,  with  a  small 
syringe  or  pipe,  a  small  quantity  of  the  eye-wash,  prepared 
as  directed  in  Chapter  XXIV.  The  case  will  assuredly  prove 
a  very  obstinate  one.  A  fatal  termination  is  not  impossible, 
w^hile  deafness  is  a  very  probable  result. 

SORE  EARS. 

Scabby  or  mangy  eruptions  sometimes  make  their  appear- 
ance on  the  tips  of  the  ear,  and  spread  downward  until  that 
whole  member  is  covered  with  them.  These  constitute  a 
genuine  skin  disease,  resembling  several  other  cutaneous 
eruptions  described  more  fully  in  the  preceding  sections  of 
this  chapter.      .  >  . 


244  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


TREATMENT. 

Make^3ome  good  strong  soap-suds,  with  which  wash  off 
the  ear,  and  then  anoint  with  the  sulphur  ointment.  Give 
this  a  thorough  trial,  and  if  a  cure  is  not  eftected,  apply  a 
very  little  of  the  mercurial  salve  once  a  day,  for  two  or  three 
days.  Omit  for  about  the  same  period,  and  apply  again.  But 
it  will  rarely  be  necessary  to  use  this  salve. 

VERMIN. 

This  is  a  very  appropriate  connection  in  which  to  intro- 
duce the  subject  of  vermin,  those  pests  which,  in  some  form 
or  other,  torment  every  class  of  the  animal  creation.  Here- 
tofore, vermin  have  generally  been  supposed  to  infest  only 
the  horse  which  was  very  poor  and  in  bad  plight  generally ; 
but  during  and  since  the  late  war,  we  have  known  them  to 
trouble  a  great  many  animals  in  excellent  condition.  In  such 
cases  they  hav^  probably  been  only  the  offspring  of  chance 
comers,  originally  bred  elsewhere. 

On  poor,  mangy  horses,  these  pests  do  undoubtedly  breed. 
They  are  one  of  the  curses  which  attend  bad  stabling,  foul 
air,  filth,  and  negligence.  Although  they  may  appear  on 
horses  that  run  in  pasture,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  they  are 
bred  in  illy-managed  stables,  and  are  almost  invariably  the 
associates  of  impurities  and  squalid  poverty.  They  always 
evidence  a  lack  of  proper  currying,  and  negligence  in  respect 
to  keeping  both  the  horse  and  stable  clean. 

They  are  generally  worse  in  the  early  spring,  just  before 
the  hair  is  shed;  but,  unless  removed,  they  often  cling  to 
many  old  carcasses  all  the  year.  Old  horses  are  more  troubled 
with  them  than  the  young  and  vigorous.  They  are  the  tor- 
ment especially  of  the  colt,  during  his  first  winter,  and  many 
a  poor,  thin,  half-dead  yearling  has  been  reduced  to  that  con- 
dition by  these  crawling  nuisances.  To'  their  presence  the 
farmer  may  often  trace  the  lean  unthrifty  condition  of  his 
colt,  that  is  otherwise  inexplicable. 

In  some  cases  they  are  the  ofifepring  of  disease,  and  too 


DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS.  245 

commonly  are  the  cause  of  it;  for  no  animal  can  long  re- 
main healthy  while  thus  infested.  Surfeit,  mange,  and  hide- 
bound, and  perhaps  some  other  affections,  are  always  aggra- 
vated by  them.  .     v 

TREATMENT. 

If  the  horse  has  no  chronic  or  seated  disease,  vermin  may 
be  destroyed  by  simply  greasing  the  hair  with  the  mercurial 
salve,  or  the  precipitate  or  sulphur  ointment.  Tobacco  will 
kill  them,  but  it  will  come  too  near  killing  the  horse  also,  to 
be  a  desirable  remedy. 

In  connection  with  whatever  ointment  may  be  used,  the 
horse  should  be  well  dosed  with  sulphur  and  resin.  Three 
table-spoonfuls  of  sulphur  and  one  of  finely-pulverized  resin 
may  be  given  in  the  feed  every  other  day. 

A  change  from  the  stable  to  the  pasture  will  be  the  best 
medicine  after  this;  but  if  this  can  not  be  afforded  the  horse, 
let  him  have  a  diet  abundant,  wholesome,  and  relaxing. 

In  all  skin  affections,  where  alteratives  are  needed,  the 
preparation  mentioned  in  Section  YII,  of  Chapter  XXIV, 
may  be  used  with  advantage.  It  will  do  as  a  substitute  for 
the  sulphur  and  resin,  in  some  cases,  and  still  oftener,  per- 
haps, in  connection  with  them. 


246  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


^  CHAPTER  IX. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM. 

The  brain  and  nervous  system  of  the  horse,  like  those  of 
the  human  being,  are  subject  to  a  variety  of  disorders  \  but 
in  this  country  much  less  frequently,  we  are  led  to  believe, 
than  in  Europe.  Some  of  these  diseases  result  from  injuries; 
others  are  due  to  local  derangement  in  the  cerebral  region  it- 
self; and  a  third  class  proceed  from  a  disturbed  condition  of 
the  nervous  system  generally.  Injuries  of  the  brain  nearly 
always  terminate  in  death. 

In  a  large  majority  of  cases,  where  the  brain  of  the  horse 
is  affected,  compression  is  a  principal  cause,  or,  at  least,  the 
very  marked  accompaniment,  of  disease.  Compression  of  the 
brain  may  be  of  three  kinds — of  the  bones,  of  water,  and  of 
blood.  Bony  enlargements  occasionall}^  form  upon  the  inner 
surface  of  the  cranial  bones,  and,  pressing  inwardly  upon  the 
brain,  produce  spasms  and  death.  Similar  eftects  are  some- 
times caused  by  brutal  or  heedless  blows  upon  the*  head,  es- 
pecially that  of  the  colt,  in  whom  the  bones  are  yet  soft  and 
flexible. 

WATER    ON   THE    BRAIN. 

This  constitutes  the  watery  compression.  It  is  the  collec- 
tion of  a  viscid  fluid  between  the  membranes  or  the  ventricles 
and  passages  of  the  brain.  In  the  mature  hprse  this  affec- 
tion occurs  but  seldom,  but  it  is  a  not  uncommon  ailment 
of  young  colts.  It  nearly  always  produces  deformity,  and 
usually  considerable  enlargement  of  the  head.  The  colt  gen- 
erally dies  at  the  time  of  foaling,  or  soon  afterward,  but  iu 
some  cases  lingers  along  for  some  months. 

We  know  of  no  remedy  for  water  on  the  brain.  Occasion- 
ally, the  forces  of  Nature  may  prove  sufficient  to  overcome 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.    247 

the  difficulty,  but  this  is  more  than  the  owner  ever  has  any 
right  to  calculate  upon. 

APOPLEXY. 

Apoplexy  is  caused  by  the  pressure  of  blood  upon  the 
brain,  and  is  common  in  the  human  subject.  It  is  rarely 
recognized  in  the  veterinary  practice  of  the  farmer,  and  he 
would  probably  be  surprised  to  know,  how  many  horses  die 
of  it  yearly.  The  animal's  death  is  usually  attributed  to  some 
other  disease,  and  the  treatment  pursued,  being  in  accordance 
with  the  erroneous  diagnosis,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  aids 
materially  in  hastening  a  fatal  result.  Perhaps  nearly  one 
fourth  of  those  severe  attacks  of  disease  which  go  among  the 
masses  by  the  name  of  hots,  is  really  apoplexy ;  and  we  ven- 
ture the  opinion  that  in  the  I^Torthern  States,  as  well  as  in 
Europe  and  other  grass-growing  countries,  the'disorder  w^hich 
the  schools,  the  veterinary  practitioner,  and  the  farmer  all 
alike  call  staggers  is,  in  a  very  large  majority  of  instances,  no 
other  than  the  same  disease.  As  we  have  elsewhere  stated, 
that  awful  scourge  of  the  Southern  States,  blind  staggers, 
is  not  known  north  of  about  the  latitude  of  thirty-six. 

Apoplexy  does  not  often  attack  any  other  than  the  horse  in 
very  plethoric  condition.  Sometimes  it  may  result  from 
other  diseases ;  and  the  animal  which  has  been  greatly  over- 
tasked and  reduced  in  flesh,  and  then  kept  for  a  time  with 
nothing  to  do,  and  an  abundance  of  high  feed,  will  undoubt- 
edly be  a  proper  subject  for  it.  Young  colts,  while  teething, 
are  rather  apt  to  be  troubled  with  it  also.  But,  after  all, 
plethora,  with  its  usual  accompaniments  of  high  feeding  and 
limited  exercise,  constitutes  by  far  the  most  frequent  cause 
of  apoplexy. 

Happily,  notions  now  prevail  very  diflerent  from  those 
which  fonnerly  obtained,  in  relation  to  the  condition  of  flesh 
most  conducive  to  the  horse's  beauty,  utility,  and  health.  It 
is  not  now  esteemed  desirable  that  the  animal  should  be  made 
fat  enough  for  the  butcher,  nor  that  it  is  even  safe  to  keep 
him  housed  up  nearly  all  the  time  without  exercise. 


*• 


248  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Apoplexy  is  always  characterized  by  giddiness  and  wild- 
ness  of  motion,  and  nearly  always  by  a  staggering  gait. 
Hence,  the  reason  why  it  is  so  frequently  mistaken  for  stag- 
gers. Its  severe  symptoms,  in  the  next  stage,  are  profuse 
sweating ;  a  trembling  of  the  whole  frame,  and  especially  of 
the  knees ;  a  wild,  wistful  look,  and  a  twitching  of  the  skin 
and  jerking  of  the  ears.  The  majority  of  farmers,  and  half 
the  modern  horse  doctors,  would  pronounce  these  symptoms 
indicative  of  bots,  and  would  fill  the  poor  creature's  stomach 
with  quantities  of  nauseous  drugs,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
the  hot  "  let  go  his  hold,"  but  which  only  increases  the  suffer 
ing,  if  indeed  they  do  not  actually  cause  death. 

All  this  is  sheer  nonsense.  The  horse  needs  no  medicine; 
the  condition  of  his  system  precludes  their  use  at  this  stage. 
His  suffering  proceeds  from  a  nervous  agitation ;  for  the 
whole  system  of  nerves  is  dreadfully  disturbed,  and  the 
brain — the  great  sensorium  of  nervous  power — is  fearfully 
compressed.  There  has  been  a  great  and  sudden  determina- 
tion of  blood  to  the  head.  The  whole  cerebral  tissue  of 
nerves  and  blood-vessels  has  become  terribly  congested.  The 
brain,  first  benumbed  by  the  compression  of  the  engorged 
vessels,  is  next  paralyzed,  and  its  functions  are  suspended, 
and  then  the  final  external  symptoms  of  the  disease  are  loss 
of  sensation  and  voluntary  motion. 

The  cause  of  this  flow  of  blood  to  the  head,  is  not  a 
changed  or  a  diseased  condition  of  the  brain  itself.  General 
contraction  of  the  vascular  system  has  forced  undue  qan titles 
of  blood  into  its  large  receptacles ;  or  it  may  be  that  violent 
external  pressure,  such  as  that  of  a  tightly-fitting  collar,  has 
impeded  the  return  of  the  blood  from  the  brain  to  the  heart. 
The  accumulation  of  fat,  or  an  excessive  growth  of  flesh 
throughout  the  body,  along  the  channels  of  the  blood-vessels, 
is  apt  to  produce  such  a  contraction  of  their  walls,  while,  in 
addition  to  this,  it  is  always  accompanied  by  a  great  fullness 
of  blood.  For  these  reasons,  it  is  dangerous  to  overfeed  and 
pamper  any  animal. 

Not  only  is  there  too  much  blood,  but  it  is  too  thick,  and 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.    249 

of  an  unnaturally  deep  red,  almost,  brown  color.  By  the 
contraction  of  the  vessels,  this  turbid  blood  is  thrown  back 
upon  the  heart  in  larger  quantities  than  that  organ  can  dis- 
pose of  it.  The  heart  becomes  full,  and  can  contain  no 
more ;  the  blood  returning  from  the  brajn  can  not  move 
forward;  the  jugular  vein  at  the  side  of  the  neck  is  swollen 
to  its  utmost  capacity;  the  vessels  of  the  brain,  dreadfully 
distended,  press  violently  upon  its  soft  substance ;  the  blood 
is  stilled;  nervous  action  is  suspended,  and  the  horse  falls 
down  in  death. 

All  this  may  not  consume  more  time  than  we  have  occu- 
pied in  telling  it,  but  sometimes  it  is  the  work  of  hours.  The 
condition  that  has  induced  the  attack  may  have  been  de- 
veloping for  months  or  years.  One  who  feeds  his  horse  very 
high,  until  the  animal  is  very  fat,  and,  meanwhile,  allowed 
but  little  exercise,  need  not  be  surprised,  on  going  to  the 
stable  some  morning,  to  find  his  favorite  dead  or  dying  from 
apoplexy. 

The  attack  comes  on  without  much  warning,  sometimes 
with  none  at  all.  When  the  farmer'l  "bots"  or  "staggers" 
takes  on  the  features  described  above,  the  case  is  a  grave 
one. 

One  effect  of  this  disease  merits  particular  notice,  and  this 
is  the  extent  to  which  the  eyes  often  suffer,  even  w^hen  the 
apoplectic  symptoms  have  been  comparatively  mild.  Not  a 
few  cases  of  eye  diseases,  and  some  of  actual  blindness,  have 
their  origin  in  attacks  of  apoplexy.  Says  Youatt :  "  It  is 
not  the  common  blindness  from  cataract,  but  a  peculiarly 
glassy  appearance  of  the  eye.  If  the  history  of  these  blind 
horses  could  be  told,  it  would  be  found  that  they  had  been 
subject  to  tits  of  drooping  and  dullness,  and  these  produced 
by  absurd  management  respecting  labor  and  food." 

The  symptoms  and  developments  of  apoplexy  we  have 
already  described,  in  great  measure ;  but  Youatt's  treatment 
of  the  same  subject  is  so  full  and  satisfactory,  that  we  can 
not  forego  the  pleasure  of  spreading  the  passages  before  our 
readers: 


250  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

"  The  horse  is  a  little  off  his  feed ;  he  is  more  tl^n  usually 
dull ;  there  is  a  degree  of  stupidity  about  him,  and,  generally, 
a  somewhat  staggering  gait.  This  goes  off  when  he  has 
been  out  a  little  while,  but  it  soon  returns  under  a  more  de- 
cided character,  until,  at  length,  it  forces  itself  on  the  atten- 
tion of-  the  most  careless. 

"  The  actual  illness  is  perhaps  first  recognized  by  the  horse 
standing  with  his  head  depressed.  It  bears  upon,  or  is  forced 
against  the  manger  or  the  wall,  and  a  considerable  part  of 
the  weight  of  the  animal  is  evidently  supported  by  this  pres- 
sure of  the  head.  As  he  thus  stands,  he  is  balancing  him- 
self from  one  side  to  the  other,  as  if  he  were  ready  to  fall ; 
and  it  is  often  dangerous  to  stand  near  to  him,  or  to  move 
him,  for  he  falls  without  warning.  If  he  can  get  his  muzzle 
into  a  corner,  he  will  sometimes  continue  there  motionless 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  then  drop  as  if  he  were  shot ; 
but,  the  next  moment,  he  is  up  again,  with  his  feet  almost 
in  the  rack.  He  sleeps,  or  seems  to  do  so,  as  he  stands,  or 
at  least  he  is  nearly  or  quite  unconscious  of  surrounding  ob-  ^ 
jects.  When  he  is  rohsed,  he  looks  vacantly  around  him. 
Perhaps  he  will  take  a  lock  of  hay,  if  it  is  offered  to  him  ; 
but,  ere  it  is  half  masticated,  the  eye  closes,  and  he  sleeps 
again,  with  the  food  in  his  mouth.  Soon  afterward  he  is, 
perhaps,  roused  once  more.  The  eye  opens,  but  it  has  an 
unmeaning  glare.  The  hand  is  moved  before  him,  but  the 
eye  closes  not;  he  is  spoken  to,  but  he  hears  not.  The  list 
act  of  voluntary  motion  which  he  will  attempt  is  usually  to 
drink ;  but  he  has  little  power  over  the  muscles  of  deglutition, 
and  the  fluid  returns  through  the  nostrils. 

"  He  now  begins  to  foam  at  the  mouth.  His  breathing  is 
laborious  and  loud.  It  is  performed  by  the  influence  of  the 
organic  nerves,  and  those  of  animal  life  no  longer  lend  their 
aid.  The  pulse  is  slow  and  oppressed;  the  jugular  vein  is 
distended  almost  to  bursting;  the  muzzle  is  cold,  and  the 
discharge  of  the  faeces  involuntary;  he  grinds  his  teeth; 
twitchings  steal  over  his  face  and  attack  his  limbs — they 
sometimes  proceed  to  convulsions,  and  dreadful  ones,  too,  in 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.     251 

which  the  horse  beats  himself  about  in  a  terrible  manner — 
but  there  is  rarely  disposition  to  do  mischief.  In  the  greater 
number  of  cases,  these  convulsions  last  not  long.  All  the 
powers  of  life  are  oppressed,  and  death  speedily  closes  the 
scene. 

"  On  examination  after  death,  the  whole  venous  system  is 
usually  found  in  a  state  of  congestion,  and  the  vessels  of  the 
brain  are  peculiarly  turgid  with  black  blood.  Occasionally, 
however,  there  is  no  inflammation  of  the  brain  or  its  mem- 
branes; but  either  the  stomach  contains  a  more  than  usual 
quantity  of  food,  or  tl^e  larger  intestines  are  loaded  with 
foul  matter." 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  indicated  by  the  symptoms  of  apoplexy  is 
very  plain.  The  stomach  itself  needs  no  medicine,  but  may 
be  made  the  medium  through  which  to  convey  a  remedy  for 
the  benefit  of  the  nervous  system.  As  it  is  the  superabun- 
dance of  blood  in  the  region  of  th'e  brain  that  is  killing  the 
horse,  the  first  step  in  the  treatment  will  be  to  bleed.  Open  the 
jugular  vein  as  soon  as  possible,  and  let  the  blood  run  until 
its  color  changes  to  a  light  red  color.  The  incision,  whether 
made  with  the  fleam  or  lancet,  should  be  large,  so  that  the 
stream  may  be  of  corresponding  size,  and  flow  freely.  Re- 
action is  to  be  produced,  and  the  blood  drawn  from  the 
vicinity  of  the  brain  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  operator 
must  be  the  judge  as  to  the  precise  amount  of  blood  to  be 
taken,  as  this  will  vary  greatly  in  diflferent  cases ;  but  his  rule 
should  be  to  let  it  flow  until  the  horse  falters  or  trembles,  or 
begins  to  blow. 

Next,  give  a  pint  of  hot  salt  and  water,  with  a  tea-spoonful 
of  Cayenne  pepper  and  half  an  ounce  of  laudanum  in  it. 
Youatt  prescribes  gentian  and  ginger.  These  are  very  good, 
but  quite  mild,  and,  in  our  practice,  have  not  seemed  to  fully 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  case.  They  do  pretty  well, 
however,  to  follow  after  the  laudanum.  Prepare  in  propor- 
tions as  follows  :     One-half  ounce  of  pulverized  gentian,  the 


,252  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

same  of  ginger,  and  four  ounces  of  Epsom  salts.  These 
quantities  constitute  two  doses.  Give  the  first  dose  four 
hours  after  the  laudanum,  and  the  other  twelve  hours  later. 
An  opiate  is  needed,  as  well  as  a  powerful  sedative  and  anti- 
spasmodic. All  these  are  contained  in  the  remedies  here 
recommended.  The  salt  and  water  nauseate,  the  pepper 
stimulates,  the  laudanum  is  the  opiate,  and  all  are  anti- 
septic. 

As  soon  as  the  horse  becomes  somewhat  easy  and  still,  the 
aloes  pill  should  be  given — from  one-half  an  ounce  to  an 
ounce  of  aloes,  made  into  a  pill  with  some  flour.  Put  this 
upon  the  roots  of  the  patient's  tongue,  and  he  will  swal- 
low it. 

But  little  more  is  needed.  If  the  case  can  be  carried  thus 
far  successfully,  a  recovery  may  reasonably  be  looked  for.  A 
judicious  care  must  be  exercised  in  regard  to  diet.  Light 
food  only  must  be  allowed — mashes,  green  substances,  and 
.  pasture.  Horses  that  are  regularly  permitted  to  graze  are 
not  troubled  with  apoplexy.     It  is  a  disease  of  the  stables. 

After  recovery,  do  not  suffer  the  horse  to  become  full  and 
plethoric  again,  or  the  attack  will  be  almost  certain  to  return. 
A  horse  that  has  once  had  apoplexy  is  more  subject  to  it 
ever  afterward.  The  tendency  will  probable  be  to  take  on 
flesh  and  fat,  but  this  must  be  carefully  guarded  against. 
Strong,  rich  food  may  bring  on  another  attack  in  a  few  days. 

RABIES  (hydrophobia,  OR  MADNESS). 

Of  this  awful  disease  we  know  nothing,  except  from  the 
descriptions  given  of  it  in  books.  Among  horses  it  is  of 
rare  occurrence,  indeed,  in  America ;  and  we  are  persuaded 
it  never  has  any  origin  independent  of  the  bite  of  a  mad  dog. 
But  even  mad  dogs  are  scarce  animals ;  for,  although-  they 
may  occasionally  be  found  in  cities,  the  country  is  very  sel- 
dom troubled  with  them.  In  our  extended  travels  through 
twenty- two  States  of  the  Union,  we  never  encountered  a 
mad  dog,  nor  so  much  as  heard  of  more  than  a  few  authen- 
ticated cases. 


r^fK 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.     253 

English  writers  sa}^  that  it  is  dangerous  to  leave  a  dog  iu 
the  stable  with  the  horse,  lest  he  should  go  mad  and  bite  the 
latter.  I^o  such  fears  are  ever  entertained  in  our  favored 
Ian  J,  nor  is  there  the  least  need  that  there  should  be. 

We  rejoice  to  speak  of  this  as  so  nearly  a  foreign  disease 
only,  for  all  veterinarians  concur  in  pronouncing  it  incurable. 

FITS,  OR   EPILEPSY. 

Though  seldom  met  with,  epilepsy  is  not  unknown  in  the 
United  States!  The  horse  suffering  from  fits  approaches, 
nearly  to  a  condition  of  frenzy.  He  has  a  wild,  fierce  look, 
rears  and  pitches  about,  and  is  generally  unmanageable  from 
the  very  beginning  of  the  attack.  As  the  disease  progresses, 
nervous  tremblings  seize  him,  and,  at  last,  he  falls  down  in 
utter  stupor  or  fearful  convulsions.  The  duration  of  these 
fits  varies,  in  different  cases,  from  a  few  minutes  to  a  con- 
siderable length  of  time. 

After  awhile  the  stupor  passes  away,  or  the  convulsions 
cease.  The  horse  gets  up,  shakes  himself,  as  though  nothing 
serious  had  happened,  moves  off,  and  goes  to  eating. 

As  to  a  cure,  it  is  doubtful  whether  one  has  ever  been 
effected  in  a  case  of  genuine  epilepsy.  Some  authors  bid 
the  farmer  set  to  work  and  discover  the  cause,  and  then  tim- 
idly bid  him  hope  for  a  cure.  But  we  have  yet  to  learn  of 
such  a  discovery  ever  being  made  with  any  satisfactory  de- 
gree of  certainty.  A  horse  that  is  subject  to  fits  must  be 
regarded  as  a  dangerous  possession,  and  the  farmer  will  con- 
sult his  own  interest  and  the  safety  of  his  family  by  putting 
the  poor  creature  beyond  all  opportunity  of  doing  mischief. 

INFLAMMATION   OF   THE   BRAIN,  OR   PHRENITIS. 

This  disease,  though  by  no  means  a  common  one  in  this 
country,  is  encountered  more  frequently  than  epilepsy.  It 
is  of  two  kinds,  or,  rather,  it  may  originate  from  two  sources: 
first,  from  the  brain  itself,  in  which  case  it  is  called  spon- 
taneous inflammation ;  and,  secondly,  from  some  other  dis- 
ease, when  it  is  described  as  symptomatic. 


254  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  latter  forms  the  only  development  of  the  disease  With 
which  we  are  practically  acquainted.  It  is  this  which  is  the 
final  cause  of  death  in  all  fatal  cases  of  the  genuine  blind 
staggers  of  the  South.  Occasionally  apoplexy  is  attended 
by  it,  and  acute  rheumatism  often  produces  slight  cerebral 
inflammation. 

A  case  of  spontaneous  inflammation  or  fever  of  the  brain 
we  never  saw.  This  form  of  the  disease  may  occur  in  this 
country,  but  it  is  certainly  very  unfrequent.  It  can  not  be 
far  wrong  to  characterize  this  as  a  European  malady,  and 
here  again  let  the  Englishman*  tell  his  own  story: 

"Primary  inflammation  of  the  brain  or  its  membranes,  or 
both,  sometimes  occurs,  and  of  the  membranes  oftenest  when 
both  are  not  involved. 

"  Whatever  be  the  origin  of  phrenitiB,  its  early  symptoms 
are  scarcely  different  from  those  of  apoplexy.  The  horse  is 
drowsy — stupid;  his  eye  closes;  he  sleeps  while  he  is  in  the 
act  of  eating,  and  dozes  until  he  falls.  The  pulse  is  slow 
and  creeping,  and  the  breathing  oppressed  and  laborious. 
This  is  the  description  of  apoplexy.  The  symptoms  may 
difter  a  little  in  intensity  and  continuance,  but  not  much  in 
kind. 

"  The  phrenitic  horse,  however,  is  not  so  perfectly  coma- 
tose as  another  that  labors  under  apoplexy.  The  eye  will 
respond  a  little  to  the  action  of  light,  and  the  animal  is 
somewhat  more  manageable,  or,  at  least,  more  susceptible,  for 
he  will  shrink  when  he  is  struck^  while  the  other  frequently 
cares  not  for  the  whip. 

"  In  the  duration  of  the  early  symptoms  there  is  some 
difference.  If  the  apoplexy  proceeds  from  distension  of  the 
stomach,  twenty-four  or  thirty-six  hours  will  scarcely  pass 
without  the  cure  being  completed,  or  the  stomach  ruptured, 
or  the  horse  destroyed.  If  it  proceeds  more  from  oppression 
of  the  digestive  organs  than  from  absolute  distension  of  the 
stomach,  and  from  that  sympathy  which  subsists  between  the 

*Youatt:  American  edition,  p.  98. 

>     'x^  •'•{>■  " 


^' 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.    255 

stomach  and  the  brain,  the  disease  will  go  on — it  will  be- 
come worse  and  worse  every  honr,  and  this  imperfect  coma- 
tose state  will  remain  during  two  or  three  days.  The  apo- 
plexy of  the  phrenitic  horse  will  often  run  its  course  in  a  few 
hours. 

*'  II  a  case  of  evident  phrenitis,  blood-letting  and  physic 
must  be  early  carried  to  their  full  extent.  The  horse  will 
often  be  materially  relieved,  and,  perhaps,  cured,  by  this  de- 
cisive treatment;  but,  if  the  golden  hour  has  been  sufiered  to 
pass,  or  if  remedial  measures  have  become  ineffectual,  the 
scene  all  at  once  changes,  and  the  most  violent  reaction  suc- 
ceeds. The  eye  brightens — strangely  so;  the  membrane  of 
the  eye  becomes  suddenly  reddened,  and  forms  a  frightful 
contrast  with  the  transparency  of  the  cornea;  the  pupil  is 
dilated  to  the  utmost;  the  nostril,  before  scarcely  moving, 
expands  and  quivers,  and  labors ;  the  respiration  becomes 
short  and  quick ;  the  ears  are  erect,  or  beflt  forward  to  catch 
the  slightest  sound ;  and  the  horse,  becoming  more  irritable 
every  instant,  trembles  at  the  slightest  motion.  The  irrita- 
bility of  the  patient  increases — it  may  be  said  to  change  to 
ferocity — but  the  animal  has  no  aim  or  object  in  what  he 
does.  He  dashes  himself  violently  about,  plunges  in  every 
direction,  rears  on  his  hind  legs,  whirls  round  and  round, 
and  then  falls  backward  with  dreadful  force.  He  lies  for 
awhile  exhausted ;  there  is  a  remission  of  the  symptoms,  but 
perhaps  only  for  a  minute  or  two,  or  possibly  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour.         :??         :jc         * 

"The  second  attack  is  more  dreadful  than  the  first.  Again 
the  animal  whirls  round  and  round,  and  plunges  and  falls. 
He  seizes  his  clothing  and  rends  it  in  pieces ;  perhaps,  desti- 
tute of  feeling  and  of  consciousness,  he  bites  and  tears  him- 
self. He  darts  furiously  at  every  thing  within  his  reach ;  but 
no  mind,  no  design,  seems  to  mingle  with  or  govern  his 
fury.  • 

"Another  and  another  remission  and  a  return  of  the  ex- 
acerbation follow,  and  then,  wearied  out,  he  becomes  quiet ; 
but  it  is  not  the  quietness  of  returning  reason,  it  is  mere 


# 

a 


-56  AMERICAN  FARMEE'S  HORSE  BOOK 

stupor.  This  continues  for  an  uncertain  period,  and  then  he 
begins  to  struggle  again;  but  he  is,  probably,  unable  to  rise. 
He  pants,  he  foams ;  at  length,  completely  exhausted,  he  dies. 

*'  There  are  but  two  diseases  with  which  phrenitis  can  be 
confounded,  and  they  are  cholic  and  rabies.  In  cholic,  the 
horse  rises  and  falls;  he  rolls  about  and  kicks  at  his  belly; 
but  his  struggles  are  tame  compared  with  those  of  the  phre- 
nitic  horse.  There  is  no  involuntary  spasm  of  any  of  the 
limbs ;  the  animal  is  perfectl}^  sensible,  and,  looking  piteously 
at  his  flanks,  seems  designedly  to  indicate  the  seat  of  pain. 
The  beautiful  yet  fearfully-excited  countenance  of  the  one, 
and  the  piteous,  anxious  gaze  of  the  other,  are  sufficiently 
distinct ;  and,  if  it  can  be  got  at,  the  rapid,  bounding  pulse 
of  the  one,  and  that  of  the  other  scarcely  losing  its  natural 
character  in  the  early  stage,  can  not  be  mistaken. 

"In  rabies,  when  it  does  assume  the  ferocious  form,  there 
is  even  more  violence  than  in  phrenitit^;  but  there  is  method, 
and  treachery,  too,  in  that  violence.  There  is  the  desire  of 
mischief  for  its  own  sake,  and  there  is  frequently  the  artful 
stratagem  to  allure  the  victim  within  the  reach  of  destruc- 
tion. There  is  not  a  motion  of  which  the  rabid  horse  is  not 
conscious,  nor  a  person  whom  he  does  not  recognize ;  but  he 
labors  under  one  all-absorbing  feeling — the  intense  longing 
to  devastate  and  destroy." 

PALSY. 

A  case  of  primary  palsy  we  have  not  been  called  upon  to 
treat  in  a  practice  of  twenty  years.  The  few  cases  of  palsy 
which  have  come  under  our  own  observation  have  invariably 
been  produced  by  other  diseases,  and  always  shared  their 
fate.  If  the  horse  recovered  from  the  other  attack,  the  palsy 
passed  away,  but  never  otherwise. 

Palsy  is  occasioned  by  the  suspension  or  the  cessation  of 
nervous  action.  In  the  horse,  it  is  generally  considered  to 
be  the  result  of  some  injury  of  the  spinal  cord,  in  consequence 
of  which  the  hips  and  thighs,  and  other  parts  of  the  hind  ex- 
tremities,, become  partially  paralyzed. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.      257 


TREATMENT. 

This  would  seem  to  be  plainly  indicated  by  the  nature  of 
the  disease.  Bleed  two  or  three  times,  at  intervals  of  ten 
days,  drawing  a  gallon  of  blood  the  first  time,  and  half  as 
much  at  each  successive  bleeding.  Physic  actively.  Give 
half  an  ounce  of  aloes  in  a  pill,  and,  after  a  reasonable  in- 
terval, follow  this  up  with  one- fourth  of  a  pound  of  Epsom 
salts. 

Kow  apply  the  magic  nerve  liniment,  twice  a  day,  to  the 
back,  near  the  junction  of  the  hips  with  the  spine.  If  this 
seems  insufficient,  substitute  a  daily  application  of  the  cor- 
rosive liniment  for  two  or  three  days. 

If  the  weather  is  cold,  cover  the  horse  with  a  good,  warm 
blanket,  so  as  to  protect  him  from  it  as  much, as  possible. 
Nothing  should  be  given  as  food  but  the  lightest  and  most 
relaxing  diet,  provided  it  does  not  produce  dysentery.  Strong 
or  heating  food  will  be  nearly  certain  to  result  in  killing  the 
horse. 

INSANITY. 

John  Bull's  horses,  like  his  dogs,  appear  not  only  to  suffer 
from  affections  of  the  brain  to  a  much  greater  extent  than 
do  ours,  but  also  to  exhibit,  now  and  then,  the  most  singular 
and  sometimes  highly  diverting  idiosyncrasies.  For  any  re- 
putable American  author  to  descant  upon  the  horse's  insan- 
ity would  lead  most  of  his  readers  to  question  whether  hia 
own  mental  condition  was  much  better;  but,  as  a  curious 
and  entertaining  episode  in  the  history  of  veterinary  science 
in  other  lands,  we  are  tempted  to  close  this  chapter  by  draw- 
ling upon  the  already  much-quoted  pages  of  Youatt  for  the 
following  ^necdotes,  which  that  distinguished  writer  intro- 
duces, by  way  of  illustration,  in  his  remarks  upon  "In- 
sanity :" 

"A  horse,  seven  years  old,  was  remarkable  for  an  habitual 
air  of  stupidity,  and  a  peculiar  wandering  expression  of  coun- 
tenance. When  he  saw  any  thing  that  he  had  not  been  accus-, 
tomed  to,  or  heard  any  sudden  or  unusual  noise,  whether  it 
17 


258  AMEEICAN  FAEMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

was  near  or  at  a  distance,  or  sometimes  when  his  corn  was 
thrown  into  the  manger  without  the  precaution  of  speaking 
to  him  or  patting  him,  he  was  frightened  to  an  almost  in- 
credible degree ;  he  recoiled  precipitately,  eyery  limb  trem- 
bled, and  he  struggled  violently  to  escape.  After  several 
useless  efforts  to  get  away,  he  would  work  himself  into  the 
highest  degree  of  rage,  so  that  it  was  dangerous  to  approach 
him.  This  state  of  excitement  was  followed  by  dreadful  con- 
vulsions, which  did  not  cease  until  he  had  broken  his  halter, 
or  .otherwise  detached  himself  from  his  trammels.  He  would 
then  become  calm,  and  suffer  himself  to  be  led  back  to  his 
stall;  nor  would  any  thing  more  be  seen  than^an  almost  con- 
tinual inquietude,  and  a  wandering  and  stupid  expression  of 
countenance.  He  had  belonged  to  a  brutal  soldier,  who  had 
beaten  him  shamefully,  and  before  which  time  he  had  been 
perfectly  quiet  and  tractable. 

"A  Piedmontese  officer  possessed  a  beautiful  and,  in  other 
respects,  serviceable  mare,  but  which  one  peculiarity  ren- 
dered exceedingly  dangerous — that  was  a  decided  aversion 
to  paper,  which  she  recognized  the  moment  she  saw  it,  and 
even  in  the  dark  if  two  leaves  were  rubbed  together.  The 
effect  produced  by  the  sight  or  sound  of  it  was  so  prompt 
and  violent  that  she  several  times  unhorsed  her  rider.  She 
had  not  the  slightest  fear  of  objects  that  would  terrify  most 
horses.  She  regarded  not  the  music  of  the  band,  the  whist- 
ling of  the  balls,  the  roaring  of  the  cannon,  the  fire  of  the 
bivouacs,  or  the  glitt^ing  of  arms.  The  confusion  and  noise 
of  an  engagement  made  no  impression  on  her;  the  sight  of 
no  other  white  object  affected  her.  "No  other  sound  was  re- 
garded, but  the  view  or  the  rustling  of  paper  roused  her  to 
madness.  ^ 

"A  mare  was  perfectly  manageable  and  betrayed  no  an- 
tipathy to  the  human  being,  nor  to  other  animalsj  nor  to 
horses,  except  they  were  of  a  light-gray  color;  but  the  mo- 
ment she  saw  a  gray  horse,  she  rushed  toward  it,  and  at- 
tacked it  with  the  greatest  fury.  It  was  the  same  at  all  times, 
and  every-where.     She  was  all  that  could  be  wished  on  the 


#. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM.     259 

parade,  on  the  rout,  in  the  ranks,  in  action,  and  in  the  stable; 
but  if  she  once  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  gray  or  white  horse, 
she  rested  not  until  she  had  thrown  her  rider  or  broken  her 
halter,  and  then  she  rushed  on  her  imagined  foe  with  the 
greatest  fury.  She  generally  contrived  to  seize  the  animal  by 
the  head  or  throat,  and  held  him  so  fast  that  she  would  suf- 
focate him,  if  he  were  not  promptly  released  from  her  bite. 

"Another  mare  exhibited  no  terror  except  of  white,  inani- 
mate objects,  as  white  mantles  or  coats,  and  particularly 
white  plumes.  She  would  fly  from  them  if  she  could;  but  if 
she  was  unable  to  accomplish  this,  she  would  rush  furiously 
upon  them,  strike  at  them  with  her  fore-feet,  and  tear  them 
with  her  teeth. 

"  These  instances  are  selected  from  various  others,  because 
they  approach  so  nearly  to  what  would  be  termed  insanity  in 
the  human  being.  It  is  confined  to  one  object — it  is  a  species 
of  monomania,  and  as  decided  insanity  as  ever  the  biped  dis- 
covered. One  of  these  horses,  the  second,  was,  b^^  long  and 
kind  attention,  divested  of  this  insane  terror,  and  became 
perfectly  quiet  and  useful;  but  the  other  three  bid  defiance 
to  all  means  of  cure,  and  to  coercion  among  the  rest." 


260 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  X. 


DISEASES  'OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH. 


The  cut  represents  the  palate  and  the  teeth  of  the  upper 
jaw  of  the  mature  horse.  It  shows  the  six  incisors,  or  nippers ; 
the  two  canine  teeth,  or  titshes — sometimes  called  bridle-teeth ; 

and  the  twelve  molars,  or  grind- 
ers. Upon  one  side  of  the  roof 
of  the  mouth  is  a  natural  view 
of  the  bars  of  the  palate,  and 
upon  the  other  is  indicated  the 
appearance  which  would  be  pre- 
sented if  the  bars  were  dissected 
olt*  so  as  to  reveal  the  intricate 
net-work  of  blood-vessels  and 
nerves  below. 

Careful  observation  has  con- 
vinced us  that  the  teeth  of  the 
horse  are  much  oftener  the 
source  of  sufiering  and  disease 
than  is  generally  believed.  In 
speaking  of  this  subject,  Youatt 
says:  "Horsemen,  in  general, 
think  too  lightly  of  dentition 
[teething],  and  they  scarcely 
dream  of  the  animal  suffering 
to  any  considerable  degree,  or 
absolute  illness  being  produced ;  yet  he  who  has  to  do  with 
young  horses  will  occasionally  discover  a  considerable  degree 
of  febrile  aflection,  which  he  can  refer  to  this  cause  alone. 
Fever,  cough,  catarrhal  affections  generally,  disease  of  the 
eyes,  cutaneous  affections,  diarrhea,  dysentery,  loss  of  appe- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  261 

tite,  and  general  derangement  will  frequently  be  traced  by 
the  careful  observer  to  irritation  from  teething. 

"  It  is  a  rule,  scarcely  admitting  of  the  slightest  deviation, 
that,  when  young  horses  are  laboring  under  any  febrile  af- 
fection, the  mouth  should  be  examined,  and  if  the  tushes  are 
prominent  and  pushing  against  the  gums,  a  crucial  incision 
[that  is,  one  in  the  form  of  a  cross]  should  be  made  across 
them.  *In  this  way,'  says  Mr.  Percivall,  *I  have  seen  ca- 
tarrhal and  bronchial  inflammations  abated,  coughs  relieved, 
lymphatic  and  other  glandular  tumors  about  the  head  reduced, 
cutaneous  eruptions  got  rid  of,  deranged  bowels  restored  to 
order,  appetite  returned,  and  lost  condition  repaired.' " 

Possibly  the  effect  which  this  extract  is  calculated  to  pro- 
duce is  hardly  distinguishable  from  that  of  an  over-statement, 
and  yet  few  experienced  veterinary  practitioners' would  un- 
dertake to  dispute  the  general  correctness  of  these  views. 

The  colt  cuts  his  first  front  teeth  when  very  young,  which 
operation  is  called  teething.  After  this,  at  difierent  stages  of 
his  growth,  these  are  displaced  by  a  new  set,  larger  and  better 
adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  mature  horse.  For  the  sake  of 
convenience,  this  process  is  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
shedding. 

The  horse  has,  or  should  have,  when  fully  grown,  forty 
teeth — in  each  jaw,  six  nippers,  two  tushes,  and  twelve 
grinders.  In  the  mare,  the  tushes  are  either  not  developed 
at  all,  or  else  do  not  make  their  appearance  before  old  age, 
although  bony  protuberances,  corresponding  to  them,  are  hid- 
den below  the  gums.  The  tush  is  a  long,  sharp  tooth,  occupy- 
ing a  position  on  each  side  of  the  jaw,  between  the  nippers 
and  grinders,  but  somewhat  nearer  the  former  than  to  the 
back  teeth.  What  a  great  many  farmers  call  blind  teeth,  andx 
ignorantly  imagine  to  be  the  cause,  of  almost  numberless 
ills,  come  on  the  lower  jaw  between  the  bridle-teeth  and 
grinders. 

The  changes  which  the  teeth  undergo  before  attaining 
their  full  development,  with  the  derangements  which  attend 
these  changes,  will  first  claim  our  attention. 


262  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


OR   DENTITION. 

Wh^n  the  foal  is  born  into  the  world,  no  teeth  are  visible 
except  the  first  and  second  grinders,  on  each  side,  above  and 
below,  making  eight  in  all;  or  sometimes  these  do  not  ap- 
pear for  two  or  three  days  afterward.  He  cuts  the  remain- 
ing teeth  in  succession,  at  various  intervals ;  so  that  the  milk 
teeth — the  first  set — are  not  all  developed  until  he  is  in  his 
third  year. 

It  is  not  our  purpose,  in  this  connection,  to  describe  the 
methods  of  telling  the  age  of  a  horse  by  his  teeth,  that  sub- 
ject being  reserved  for  Chapter  XIX.  The  diseases  of  the 
teeth  and  mouth  form  what  we  have  now  to  consider. 

The  cutting  of  nearly  thirty  teeth,  however  lightly  it  may 
be  regarded  by  the  stock- raiser,  is  certainly  a  matter  of  no 
small  moment  to  the  colt.  While  it  is  true  that  ITature  pre- 
pares the  gums,  in  a  great  measure,  for  this  process,  if  any  one 
\vill  take  the  trouble  to  examine  the  mouth  and  gums  of  the 
colt  while  it  is  going  on,  he  will  probably  be  astonished  to 
find  how  hot  and  feverish  these  parts  are.  During  the  period 
of  suckling,  the  milk  of  the  mother  tends  greatly  to  counter- 
act the  evil  eiFects  of  teething,  and,  at  this  period,  Nature 
will  seldom  need  any  assistance  in  the  way  of  other  diet,  or 
medication  of  any  kind.  But,  after  weaning,  all  through 
what  remains  of  teething,  and  the  entire  process  of  shed- 
ding, the  young  animal  does  not  fare  so  well,  and  a  variety 
of  disorders  lie  in  wait  for  him,  making  this  the  most  crit- 
ical period  of  his  whole  life. 

It  is  undoubtedly  a  wise  and  kindly  provision  of  JS'ature 
that  the  colt's  teeth  do  not  all  come  at  once;  for,  if  that 
were  the  case,  such  would  be  the  severity  of  the  operation 
that  very  few,  probably,  would  live  through  it.  As  it  is,  the 
soreness  and  inflammation  occasioned  by  the  cutting  of  one 
pair  has  time  to  subside,  and  the  gums  are  allowed  time  to 
heal  over  before  any  more  come  through.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark,  also,  that  dentition  does  not  so  seriously  afi:ect  the 
horse  as  either  the  human  species  or  the  dog. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  263 

The  colt's  nippers  are  not  set  in  the  jaw-bones,  as  a  great 
many  suppose  they  are,  but  rest  upon  them  in  a  sort  of  sad- 
dle-fashion, and  are  attached  to  the  jaw  by  a  bony  adhesion, 
having  a  small,  shallow  socket,  but  no  appearance  of  fangs 
or  roots,  like  the  permanent  teeth.  This  setting,  however, 
is  sufficiently  firm  for  all  the  purposes  that  Mature  intended 
the  colt  to  use  the  teeth  for,  embracing  scarcely  any  thing 
more  than  the  procuring  of  such  food  as  grass,  hay,  oats, 
and  other  provender  easily  masticated.  But  hard  food,  such 
as  corn,  especially  when  it  is  fed  in  the  ear,  does  very  ma- 
terially injure  his  teeth.  The  great  strain  to  which  its 
mastication  subjects  them  is  exceedingly  liable  to  produce 
soreness  and  inflammation  that,  in  turn,  often  become  the 
exciting  causes  of  other  forms  of  disease,  especially  of  those 
whose  seat  is  in  the  head. 

SHEDDING. 

Closely  connected  with  teething,  and,  in  the  beginning, 
coincident  with  the  latter  stages  of  that  operation,  is  the 
process  of  shedding,  which  is  the  replacement  of  the  milk 
by  the  permanent  teeth.  The  first  set  of  teeth  do  not  come 
out,  and  the  lacerated  gums  then  heal  over,  as  is  the  case 
with  children,  but  the  second  tooth  comes  up  immediately 
under  the  first  one,  and  lifts  it  entirely  out  of  the  gums. 
What  is  still  more  remarkable,  while  this  is  going  on,  the 
under  part  of  the  milk  tooth  .is  being  gradually  ground  or 
worn  ofl:*,  and  its  substance  absorbed  by  the  surrounding 
parts,  so  that  there  is  but  a  small  portion  of  it  left  by  the 
time  the  permanent  tooth  reaches  the  top  of  the  gums.  As 
the  under  tooth  comes  up  from  its  bed  in  the  jaw,  the  gums, 
being  lifted  up  with  it,  retain  their  hold  upon  the  other  un- 
til the  second  is  near  enough  through  to  subserve  the  needs 
of  the  animal  in  eating ;  then,  all  at  once,  the  gums  peel  ofl:' 
from  the  upper  tooth,  which  drops  out,  and  they  now  sink 
down  around  the  new  one ;  their  swelling  and  soreness  sub- 
side, and  all  is  right  in  the  mouth  again. 

For  a  considerable  time  previous  to  their  removal,  the  po* 


264  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

eition  of  the  milk  teeth  is  by  no  means  a  firm  one,  as  they 
are  only  retained  in  their  places  by  the  adhesion  of  the  gums. 
Every  hard  substance  that  comes  in  contact  with  them  is 
likely  to  move  or  twist  them  about. 

Soreness  and  inflammation  almost  invariably  accompany 
shedding.  Perhaps  there  is  no  time,  until  this  operation  is 
over,  that  the  mouth  and  gums  are  wholly  free  from  fever 
and  swelling.  The  bad  condition  of  many  young  colts,  fol- 
lowing loss  of  flesh  and  appetite,  may  be  traced  to  these  cir- 
cumstances. It  is  easy  to  test  the  matter  by  examining  the 
parts.  Nor  is  the  loss  of  appetite  the  only  or  chief  difficulty 
in  such  cases.  The  character  of  the  saliva  undergoes  an  in- 
jurious change  from  the  feverish  influences  of  the  mouth  and 
gums,  and,  being  carried  to  the  stomach  in  this  condition, 
it  naturally  produces  derangement  of  the  digestive  process. 
No  doubt  many  a  serious  disease  of  the  mature  horse  origin- 
ated at  this  period  of  his  life,  and  is  largely  attributable  to 
the  eftects  of  shedding. 

TREATMENT. 

Not  much  either  can  or  should  be  done  in  the  way  of  med- 
ication while  the  colt  is  teething  and  shedding.  The  great 
consideration  is  his  diet,  and  to  this  too  much  attention 
can  not  well  be  paid.  Keep  away  from  him  solid  and  heat- 
ing food,  and  let  him  have  only  such  a  moist,  light  diet  as 
can  easily  be  supplied  him  in  winter,  by  provender,  cut  feed, 
and  small  quantites  of  oats ;  Avhile  for  the  summer  season, 
pasture  is  'not  only  the  most  readily  procurable  food,  but  is 
immeasurably  the  best. 

In  the  cotton  States,  where  pastures  are  poor  and  scanty, 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  raise  a  colt  by  any  ordinary  degree 
of  care.  There  the  young  creatures  are  generally  fed  on 
corn,  and  on  corn  fodder,  which  is  still  worse,  and  the  large 
majority  of  them  become  diseased  and  die.  They  are  not 
unfrequently  troubled  with  big  head,  though  such  is  the 
vigor  of  the  system  at  this  age  that  they  withstand  its  at- 
tacks much  better  than  old  horses.    Green  grass  we  consider 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  265 

essential  to  the  health  an^  natural  power  of  the  horse  of  all 


Salting  is  another  important  matter.  Salt  is  medicine  to 
the  horse,  and  to  the  colt  especially.  If  fed  in  a  trough  or 
manger,  give  the  unthrifty  colt  some  sulphur,  from  time  to 
time.  It  will  aid  much  to  restore  health  and  condition.  Be- 
fore this,  however,  it  will  have  been  w^ell  to  examine  his 
mouth,  and,  if  there  is  marked  heat  and  soreness  about 
the  gums,  it  is  pretty  surely  an  indication  of  teething. 
Two  incisions,  at  right  angles,  made  by  drawing  a  sharp 
knife  across  the  gum,  just  above  the  tooth,  will  give  great 
relief. 

The  very  frequent  belching  of  wind,  which  may  be  noticed 
in  some  horses  and  colts,  betrays  a  very  common  source  of 
annoyance  and  suffering.  This  is  a  sour  stomach.  Per- 
haps  the  teething  colt  is,  most  of  all,  subject  to  it,  caused  by 
the  action  of  the  changed  saliva,  which  is  continually  flow- 
ing from  the  feverish  mouth  into  the  stomach.  Fermenta- 
tion of  the  food  is  one  of  the  evil  effects  of  this  action.  To 
correct  this,  it  is  desirable  that  some  good  wood  ashes  be 
kept  in  the  animal's  trough  with  his  oats.  In  a  majority  of 
cases,  their  alkaline  properties  would  entirely  neutralize  the 
acid  condition  of  the  stomach,  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
milk  of  the  mother  does  this  for  the- colt  before  he  is  weaned. 

•  BLIND   TEETH. 

Blind  teeth  are  still,  to  many  uninformed  persons,  the 
source  of  an  anxiety  amounting  almost  to  terror.  Yet  they 
seldom  do  any  material  injury,  and  never  in  the  way  that 
they  are  supposed  to  do.  It  is  not  probable  that  they  are 
ever  the  real  cause  of  any  kind  of  disease.  Some  farmers 
imagine  that  they  bring  on  the  peculiar  enlargement  of  big 
head,  especially  in  the  colt;  and. if  the  eyes  are  at  all  sus- 
pected, the  first  thing  done  is  to  look  for  blind  teeth,  and 
the  next  to  knock  them  out.  Many  a  blind  tooth  has  the 
writer  removed  at  the  imperative  bidding  of  credulous  own- 
ers, whom  no  amount  of  argument  could  satisfy  that  such  an 


266  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Operation  was  not  at  all  necessary  to  "stop  the  big  head,"  or 
"save  the  eyes." 

True,  they  are  often  in  the  way,  and  never  of  the  least 
service,  and,  for  these  reasons,  it  is  best  to  extract  them. 
But  there  is  no  ground  for  supposing  them  instrumental  in 
developing  other  diseases,  any  further  than  they  may  excite 
local  irritation  and  soreness  in  cutting,  although  this  effect 
is  less  marked  in  their  case  than  in  that  of  the  other  teeth. 

Mares  do  not  have  them,  unless  a  peculiar  growth  of  the 
jaw-bone,  which  is  occasionally  seen  at  the  point  where  they 
usually  come  through,  can  be  called  such.  Neither  do  a 
great  many  horses.  In  most  instances,  the  appearance  is 
rather  that  of  a  bony  enlargement  on  the  top  of  the  jaw- 
bone than  that  of  a  real  tooth,  and  the  gum  is  frequently 
not  cut  through  at  all.  Blind  teeth  seem  to  have  no  socket, 
fang,  or  nerve,  and  are  to  be  regarded  as  intruders  only. 

DECAY   OF   THE   TEETH. 

The  teeth  of  horses,  like  those  of  human  beings,  are  sub- 
ject to  decay.  In  common  parlance,  they  become  rotten, 
which  is  just  the  same  condition  that  the  dentist  refers  to 
when  he  speaks  of  "  caries"  of  the  teeth.  The  horse's  front 
teeth  sometimes  show  signs  of  decay,  but  generally  it  is  the 
jaw  teeth,  the  molars,  which  are  affected. 

It  may  be  a  novel  idea  to  many  farmers,  and,  perhaps,  still 
more  so  to  the  charming  portion  of  creation  representedi  by 
their  wives  and  daughters,  but  it  is  a  fact* that  the  horse  not 
unfrequently  suffers  from  toothache.  This  is  one  of  the 
causes  which  so  often  make  him  suddenly  drop  the  corn,  or 
other  hard  feed,  from  his  mouth  while  eating.  The  owner  or 
attendant  generally  sets  this  down  as  indicating  some  nat- 
ural disrelish  for  the  food  at  that  particular  time,  whereas  the 
fact  very  often  is,  that  he  has  hurt  his  tooth.  Having  no 
hand  to  press  to  his  mouth,  the  poor  animal  is  allowed  to 
suffer  without  there  being  so  much  as  a  suspicion  of  what 
the  trouble  really  is. 

A  disordered  condition  of  the  stomach  has  much  to  do  with 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  267 

the  premature  decay  of  the  teeth.  The  foul  gases  which  it 
gives  off,  when  there  is  fermentation  of  the  food,  exert  a  very 
detrimental  effect  upon  the  teeth.  Similar  consequences  fol- 
low the  reprehensible  practice  of  giving  the  horse  strong- 
mineral  poisons,  such  as  copperas,  blue  stone,  calomel,  corro- 
sive sublimate,  arsenic,  and  many  others.  These  have  a  ten- 
dency to  destroy  the  enamel,  and  corrode  and  ruin  the  teeth. 

TREATMENT. 

We  know  of  nothing  to  be  done  in  the  case  of  a  decayed 
tooth  except  to  extract  it.  This  should  be  done,  if  at  all 
practicable.  Have  made  a  pair  of  pullers  on  the  principle  of 
the  keyed  instrument  used  in  dentistry,  but  larger  and 
stronger,  of  course;  and  while  an  assistant  holds  open  the 
horse's  mouth,  the  operator  can  fasten  on  the  decayed  tooth 
and  draw  it.  If  the  horse  is  vicious  or  restless,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  fasten  his  head,  so  that  he  can  not  move  it  about. 
The  operator  may  stand  on  a  bench  or  box,  so  as  to  work  to 
better  advantage. 

The  horse's  teeth*  should  not  be  extracted  except  in  ex- 
treme cases,  when  the  fact  admits  of  no  doubt  that  they  are 
the  occasion  of  acute  suffering.  The  practice  of  driving  out 
the  teeth  with  a  punch  or  hammer  ought  not  to  be  counte- 
nanced, and  is  only  justifiable  in  those  rare  instances  where  a 
proper  instrument  can  not  be  procured. 

As  one  of  the  causes  of  decay,  the  condition  of  the  stom- 
ach should  receive  careful  attention.  A  hot,  fetid  breath, 
the  tongue  of  a  whitish-purple  colpr,  the  saliva  of  the  mouth 
thick  and  stringy — these  are  the  indications  of  derangement 
of  the  digestive  functions.  The  proper  remedies  now  will  be 
sulphur  and  "  jimson"  seed.  Of  the  former,  give  four  ounces 
every  other  day;  of  the  latter,  one  ounce  every  third  day. 
Four  doses  of  each,  at  the  intervals  here  prescribed,  will  be 
sufficient.  Pulverized  yellow  poplar  bark,  or  green  limbs 
from  the  tree,  may  be  used  for  the  same  purpose,  and  in  the 
same  manner  as  will  shortly  be  directed  for  scurvy  of  the 
teeth. 


268  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


SCURVY  OF   THE   TEETH. 

The  teeth  of  old  horses,  in  most  cases  the  front  teeth  only, 
sometimes  become  covered  with  ridges  of  white  scurf,  or 
calcarioiis,  limy  deposits,  which  extend  downward  to  the 
gums  and  keep  them  continually  sore  and  inflamed.  The 
trouble  is  not  wholly  incident  to  old  age,  for  it  sometimes 
affects  young  horses  also.    , 

Its  causes,  in  nearly  all  cases,  are  very  similar  to  those  of 
decay.  In  fact,  scurvy  of  the  teeth  is  only  one  form  which 
their  decay  assumes,  the  deposits  of  the  decayed  tooth  re- 
maining upon  its  surface.  In  the  fermentation  of  the  food, 
that  so  often  follows  high  feeding  and  other  causes  of  de- 
ranged digestive  action,  carbonic  acid  gas  is  generated  in  con- 
siderable quantities,  and  is  belched  up  from  the  stomach. 
The  teeth  are  mainly  composed  of  the  phosphate  of  lime, 
and  when  this  gas  unites  with  the  lime  which  they  contain, 
there  results  a  scaly  incrustation  of  carbonate  of  lime. 

Mineral  poisons  constitute  a  powerful  ^agent  in  producing 
scurvy  of  the  teeth,  no  less  than  other  forms  of  decay. 

TREATMENT. 

The  first  and  most  important  part  of  the  treatment  consists 
in  the  regulation  of  so  much  of  the  digestive  process  as  is 
conducted  in  the  stomach,  whose  sourness  must  be  promptly 
corrected.  Sulphur  and  "jimson"  seed  will  admirably  serve 
this  purpose,  as  indicated  in  the  last  section.  The  former 
acts  as  a  mild  alterative,  and  is  the  best  regulator  of  the 
horse's  system  that  we  know  of. 

Good  wood  ashes  should  be  kept  in  the  manger.  Yellow 
poplar  bark,  well  pulverized,  will  prove  an  excellent  adjunct 
in  this  part  of  the  treatment.  If  kept  constantly  in  the 
place  where  the  horse  feeds,  he  will  eat  considerable  quanti- 
ties of  it  from  time  to  time.  In  some  of  the  Southern  States, 
it  is  customary  to  put  long  poles  of  green  poplar  in  the  stable. 
in  front  of  the  horse,  and  in  a  little  while  he  has  the  bark 
eaten  off  them  entirely.     The  bark  of  the  poplar  is  a  most 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  269 

excellent  tonic,  and  he  is  quite  fond  of  it  when  green.  In- 
stinct teaches  the  horse  a  hundred  things  which  man  dis- 
covers only  after  laborious  investigation,  experiment,  and 
reasoning.  When  diseased,  if  he  is  permitted  to  run  where 
there  are  an  abundance  of  bushes,  he  may  very  frequently 
be  seen  nibbling  away  at  such  of  them  as  possess  medicinal 
qualities,  and  especiall}^  those  which  act  as  tonics  and  astrin- 
gents. 

.  It  will  do  no  good  to  apply  any  thing  to  the  teeth  until 
the  stomach  is  in  proper  condition ;  but  this  end  having  been 
secured,  it  will  be  quite  in  order  to  remove  their  calcarious 
deposits.  This  can  be  effectually  done  with  a  brush  and  a 
mixture  of  tartaric  acid  with  fine  salt.  The  use  of  the  latter 
is  to  prevent  the  injurious  effects  of  the  acid  upon  the  teeth, 
in  a  measure.  Some  ashes,  or  a  weak  lye  made  from  them, 
may  be  used  after  this  mixture,  to  still  further  counteract  the 
acid.  But  we  must  here  record  our  emphatic  objections  to 
the  employment  of  any  acids  or  caustics  about  the  teeth. 
Their  effects  can  not  be  wholly  neutralized,  and  thus,  while 
they  may  remove  one  difficulty,  they  are  sure  to  bring  ou 
another. 

Some  persons  are  in  the  habit  of  filing  the  teeth  that  are 
affected  with  scurvy,  and  this  ia  an  operation  which  may  be 
performed  with  decided  benefit.  After  the  incrustation  has 
been  removed  with  the*file,  the  teeth  will  present  a  rough, 
jagged,  appearance,  and  are  in  fine  condition  to  favor  the 
accumulation  of  more  deposits.  This  may  be  remedied  by 
using  a  second  and  much  smaller  file,  or  a  piece  of  coarse 
sand-paper,  followed  by  a  piece  of  fine  sand-paper.  The 
beautiful  enamel  which  disease  has  destroyed  no  art  can  re- 
place; but  the  surface  can  be  given  a  smooth  polish  that 
will  be  of  great  service,  as  a  substitute  for  it,  in  resisting  the 
eftects  of  wear  and  decay. 

The  process  is  a  simple  and  easy  one.  It  requires  a  twitch 
on  the  horse's  nose,  and  one  man  to  hold  it  and  turn  the 
lip  down,  whik  the  operator,  with  a  file,  broken  off  at  the 
end,  scrapes  off  the  incrustations  from  the  teeth,  and,  after 


270  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

polishing  them  with  sand-paper,  oils  them  with  a  little  sweet 
oil.     This  includes  all  that  is  to  be  done. 

"We  have  devoted  more  space  to  these  branches  of  our  sub- 
ject than,  at  first,  it  was  our  intention  to  do.  To  this  we 
have  been  impelled  by  the  considerations  that  the  general 
health  of  the  horse  is  so  intimately  connected  with  the  con- 
dition of  the  teeth,  and  that  so  little  account  is  commonly 
taken  of  this  fact  by  horsemen.  Especially  are  they  apt  to 
overlook  the  injuries  sometimes  sustained  by  the  colt  from 
the  operations  of  teething  and  shedding.  If  the  stock-raiser 
will  reflect  for  a  moment  upon  the  suffering  entailed  upon 
the  child  by  the  first  of  these  processes,  and  how  often  dis- 
ease and  death  result  from  it,  and  then  consider  how  much 
the  experience  of  his  young  colts  may  resemble  this  case  in 
the  human  subject,  it  would  pretty  surely  be  of  material  ad- 
vantage to  his  growing  stock.  Poor,  feeble  colts,  with  rough 
hair,  thin  flanks,  staggering  gait,  and  loss  of  appetite,  would 
be  cared  for  with  better,  because  more  intelligent,  regard  to 
their  real  wants. 

We  have  recommended  the  following  course  to  be  pursued 
on  stock  farms,  and  the  system  can  be  carried  out  quite  as 
easily  on  a  smaller  scale.  In  the  pasture,  or  in  the  stable- 
yard,  let  there  be  placed  long  troughs,  and  salt  kept  con- 
stantly in  them,  or  at  least  placed  in  them  once  a  week. 
Wood  ashes  should  be  mingled  with  the  salt,  and  together 
they  will  correct  any  tendency  to  indigestion  in  nearly  all 
instances.  Sulphur  should  be  used  abundantly  at  the  same 
time;  for  its  properties  as  an  alterative  are  unrivaled. 

STUMP-SUCKING,   CRIB-BITING,   AND   WIND-SUCKING. 

The  strange  habit  known  as  "  stump-sucking,"  which  some 
horses  have,  is  not  well  understood.  We  have  seen  and  ex- 
amined a  great  many  animals  that  were  addicted  to  it,  es- 
pecially colts,  but  must  acknowledge  that  we  know  not  to 
what  cause  to  refer  it  with  positiveness.  It  is  said  to  be 
more  common  in  the  ^NTorthern  States  than  at  the  South,  and 


.A 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  271 

still  more  so  in  eome  European  countries.  In  the  Southern 
States  the  practice  has  received  the  name  of  "  stump-suck- 
ing," from  the  fact  that  the  stable-lots  in  which  stock  run  a 
great  deal  of  their  time  are  very  often  filled  with  old  stumps 
of  trees,  and  upon  these  the  horse  exercises  his  singular  pro- 
pensity. The  same  strange  actions  are  manifested  in  older 
sections  by  gnawing  the  crib  or  manger,  and  hence  the  term 
"  crib-biting."  Still  a  third  name  is  given  the  habit  in  many 
parts  of  the  country,  that  of  "wind-sucking,"  from  a  pecu- 
liarity of  some  "  stump-suckers,"  of  violently  dra^wing  in  air 
through  the  teeth. 

The  afi:ection,  whatever  it  may  really  be,  appears  to  come 
on  by  "  spells,"  or  at  particular  times  which  have  no  regu- 
lar or  periodic  recurrence.  When  the  attack  does  come  on, 
however,  the  poor  creature  rushes  up  to  the  nearest  object 
that  will  serve  his  purpose — a  stump,  a  rail,  the  crib,  or  the 
manger — with  such  haste  as  though  his  very  life  depended 
upon  it,  and,  seizing  it  with  his  teeth,  stands  biting  the  wood, 
or  leans  back  and  pulls  with  all  the  strength  that  the  teeth 
will  bear. 

Wind-sucking  is  not  so  common  an  eccentricity,  but  when 
it  does  occur  is  really  distressing  to  witness.  We  are  not 
aware  that  it  has  ever  been  described  by  any  writer  upon 
the  diseases  of  the  horse,  but  we  have  seen  the  operation  a 
immber  of  times,  The  horse  looks  around  him  for  a  mo- 
ment, with  a  wild,  hurried  look,  and  then,  with  a  sudden 
start,  lays  hold  of  some  hard  substance,  and  grips  it  with  his 
teeth  with  all  the  power  he  possesses.  Straightening  his 
neck  and  falling  back  upon  his  haunches,  he  hangs  with  his 
teeth  to  the  wood,  and  sucks  in  the  air  through  his  throat 
with  such  force  as  to  produce  a  loud,  roaring  noise,  that  may 
sometimes  be  heard  nearly  one-fourth  of  a  mile  away.  At. the 
same  time  the  most  awful  groans  escape  him,  almost  as 
though  "the  very  ribs  of  Nature  were  bursting  in."  At  in- 
tervals he  holds  his  breath,  until  the  spectator  begins  to  fear 
lest  it  should  be  gone  forever.  Then,  with  a  slow,  measured 
groan,  increasing  to  a  roar,  he  recommences  to  suck  the  wind. 


272  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

With  such  an  effort  is  this  performed,  that  his  lips  fairly 
quiver,  his  sides  tremble,  and  his  flanks  puff*  in  and  out,  like 
a  horse  that  has  been  running  at  the  top  of  his  speed.  His 
ears  are  thrown  back,  with  an  angry  look,  like  a  stubborn 
mule,  pulling  at  the  halter  with  all  his  might.  He  shakes, 
trembles,  groans,  and  sucks  wind  at  the  same  instant.  Pres- 
ently the  muscles  of  the  jaw  relax  and  give  way,  unable  any 
longer  to  endure  the  strain,  and  the  horse  either  falls  to  the 
ground  or  staggers  wildly  for  a  moment.  This  breaks  the 
spell ;  he  turns  round,  and  walks  off"  or  begs  for  something 
to  eat,  as  though  nothing  particular  had  happened. 

In  some  cases,  the  horse  rests  the  ends  of  his  front  teeth 
upon  some  hard,  firm  surface,  with  the  extremities  of  the 
jaws  separated  about  half  an  inch,  and  the  tongue  between 
them,  and  so  remains,  pressing  his  teeth  with  all  the  weight 
of  his  head  and  strength  of  his  neck.  These  paroxysms,  as 
they  may  be  called,  last  from  ten  to  forty  minutes,  and  vary 
greatly  in  intensity.  Occasionally  they  are  very  light,  and 
the  horse  does  nothing  more  than  press  his  teeth  upon  the 
object,  or  merely  grips  it  with  them,  for  a  short  time. 

The  most  inveterate  case  we  ever  knew  was  that  of  an  old 
horse  belonging  to  Mr.  Thomas  Bay,  of  Haywood  County, 
Tennessee.  He  was  a  stump-sucker  for  many  years,  and  we 
have  often  heard  him  suck  wind  and  groan  at  the  distance 
of  at  least  one-eighth  of  a  mile.  He  lived  until  he  was 
twenty  years  old,  and  was  always  in  good  working  condition. 

By  many  this  strange  affection  js  considered  one  of  the 
vices,  or,  at  least,  a  most  disagreeable  habit  of  the  horse,  and 
such,  perhaps,  his  nibbliugs  of  the  manger  may  sometimes 
be.  But  when  the  practice  is  accompanied  by  the  actions 
above  described,  we  are  satisfied  that  it  should  properly  be 
classed  among  the  animal's  diseases,  and  venture  the  opinion 
that  it  proceeds  from  a  disordered  condition  of  the  teeth, 
probably  some  neuralgic  affection.  It  is  most  likely  that  the 
sufferer  has  somehow  discovered  that,  by  pressing  his  teeth 
upon  some  hard  substance,  or  by  biting  and  pulling  with 
them,  he  can  obtain  relief.     When  one  has  been  salivated, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  278 

and  is  suffering  tortures  from  sore  teeth  and  gums,  if  a  small 
chip  or  piece  of  stick  be  held  between  the  teeth  and  they 
be  closed  forcibly  upon  it,  the  abatement  of  pain  will  be  in- 
stantaneous and  great.  May  not  the  stump-sucking  horse 
be  merely  resorting  to  the  same  expedient  to  secure  tempo- 
rary relief  from  suffering  of  a  similar  character  ?  It  is  not 
difficult  to  understand  how  grateful  such  relief  would  be  to 
an  animal  in  that  state,  nor  how  pleasureable  a  sensation  it 
might  be  to  cool  the  hot  and  feverish  gums  by  drawing  the 
air  rapidly  through  the  teeth. 

We  strongly  incline  to  the  belief  that  the  affection  is  a 
disease  not  only  of  the  teeth  and  gums,  but  also  embracing 
the  membrane  (the  periosteum)  covering  the  fangs  of  the 
former,  and  of  the  nerves  of  the  adjacent  regions. 

One  fact  in  the  symptoms  is  very  prominent :  the  horse 
evidently  suffers  during  the  paroxysms,  and,  as  before  stated, 
is  sometimes  even  convulsed  by  spasms.  Another  is  that  he 
generally  loses  flesh  and  strength,  becomes  low  in  condition, 
and  can  not  be  made  to  thrive. 

TREATMENT. 

This  should  be  directed  to  the  teeth  and  gums.  Try  the 
effects  of  wetting  the  front  teeth  with  the  magic  nerve  lini- 
ment, morning  and  night,  for  at  least  ten  days.  Apply  the 
liniment  with  a  small  mop  to  the  top  of  the  teeth,  and 
enough  will  run  down  upon  the  surrounding  gums.  If  the 
horse  is  inclined  to  plethora,  bleed  once,  taking  about  three 
quarts  of  blood.  In  mild  cases,  this  treatment  will  often 
prove  of  marked  benefit. 

A  confirmed  stump  or  wind  sucker  is  undoubtedly  impaired 
for  usefulness  in  nearly  all  cases,  and  his  market  value  ma- 
terially diminished.  We  have  treated  the  subject  at  this- 
length  in  the  hope  that  the  suggestions  here  thrown  out 
may  be  the  means  of  eliciting  the  true  facts  in  relation  to 
the  nature  and  causes  of  this  singular  affection. 
18 


274  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


LAMPAS. 

This  is  an  ailment  principally  incident  to  young  horees, 
and  was  an  object  of  great  alarm  to  the  farriers  of  former 
times.  It  is  simply  an  inflammation  of  the  muscles  in  the 
front  part  of  the  roof  of  the  mouth.  These  have  the  form 
of  a  succession  of  little  ridges — or  bars,  as  they  are  called — 
running  across  the  surface  of  that  part,  and  constitute  an 
extension  of  the  palate.  Their  appearance,  so  familiar  to 
every  practical  horseman,  is  tolerably  well  represented  in  the 
cut  which  we  have  introduced  in  the  beginning  of  this  chap- 
ter. The  bars  serve  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  tongue  in 
moving  the  particles  of  food  backward  to  the  jaw  teeth,  there 
to  be  properly  masticated. 

That  portion  of  the  muscle  next  to  the  front  teeth  some- 
times swells,  until  it  extends  downward  not  only  to  the  level 
of  the  teeth,  but,  it  may  be,  even  beyond  them.  It  becomes 
very  sore,  and  greatly  annoys  the  horse  in  eating,  especially 
if  his  food  consists  of  such  hard  substances  as  corn,  oats, 
and  timothy  hay.  He  shows  the  pain  which  their  pressure 
occasions  by  often  dropping  the  food  from  his  mouth. 

Such  inflammation  is  apt  to  arise  from  the  soreness  that 
accompanies  teething,  and  which  is  communicated  to  the 
bars  in  the  adjoining  parts  of  the  mouth.  This  is  the  reason 
why  the  young  horses  are  more  subject  to  it  than  the  older 
ones.  But  changes  of  some  kind  are  continually  going  on 
in  the  mouth ;  the  teeth,  after  the  operations  of  teething  and 
shedding  are  done  with,  begin  to  wear  away,  and,  after  a 
time,  they  commence  to  fall  out,  and  the  gums  sink  down 
around  them.  As  a  general  thing,  the  horse  is  free  from 
lampas  between  the  ages  of  five  and  eight  years ;  but,  at  the 
latter  period,  the  wearing  oft*  of  the  teeth  becomes  more 
marked  and  rapid,  the  gums  have  noticeably  shrunk,  and  this 
disease  is  apt  to  appear  again. 

We  think  there  is  a'  tendency  on  the  part  of  most  late 
writers  on  veterinary  practice  to  underrate  the  injurious 
effects  produced  by  lampas.     A  marked  derangement  of  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH.  275 

digestive  process  would  be  no  more  than  might  reasonably 
be  expected  from  the  constant  flow  of  the  unhealthy  saliva 
secreted  by  the  feverish  mouth  and  gums ;  and  observation 
plainly  teaches  that  when  horses  have  been  long  troubled 
with  larapas,  they  are  likely  to  be  found  in  bad  condition, 
thin  in  flesh,  and  with  a  staring  coat  of  hair.  • 

TREATMENT. 

In  many  cases,  lampas  will  disappear  of  itself.  If  not, 
scarification  is  the  first  thing  to  be  done.  This  should  be 
performed  with  the  point  of  a  very  sharp  knife,  the  object 
being  to  relieve  the  overloaded  vessels  of  the  superabun- 
dance of  blood  they  contain.  Great  care  must  be  taken  not 
to  make  the  incisions  too  deep,  or  back  of  the  third  bar,  just 
behind  which  an  artery  approaches  very  near  to  the  surface, 
that  will  be  quite  difficult  to  close,  if  it  should  be  severed 
in  this  operation.  Should  such  an  accident  happen,  the 
bleeding  can  be  stopped  by  tying  a  strong  cord  around  the 
upper  front  teeth,  close  to  the  gums,  and  drawing  it  very 
tightly.  This  will  close  the  orifice,  and  check  the  hemor- 
rhage at  once. 

The  use  of  some  mild  astringent  will  form  the  proper  con- 
tinuance of  the  treatment.  Alkaline  solutions  will  often 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  case  when  nothing  else  will. 
Make  a  strong  solution  of  chlorate  of  potash — one  ounce  of 
the  chlorate  to  two  ounces  of  rain-water — and  with  this  wash 
the  mouth  and  gums  every  morning. 

If  the  general  health  of  the  horse  is  not  good,  it  may  be 
well  to  bleed  once  from  the  jugular,  and  give  the  usual  alter- 
atives— sulphur  and  resin — or  the  powders  mentioned  in  Sec- 
tion YII,  of  Chapter  XXIY. 

Wq  must  add  our  emphatic  concurrence  in  the  condem- 
nation expressed  by  all  respectable  veterinarians  in  regard 
to  the  brutal  custom  of  burning  the  bars  of  the  mouth  for 
the  cure  of  lampas.  Much  of  the  sense  of  taste  and  of  the 
enjoyments  of  eating  reside  in  this  part  of  the  mouth,  and 
the  bars  are  of  great  service,  as  before  stated,  in  moving  the 


276  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

food  about  during  mastication.  To  burn  them,  therefore,  is 
not  only  an  act  of  great  cruelty,  but  is  really  a  permanent 
injury.  Besides  this,  the  hot  iron  often  comes  in  contact 
with  the  teeth,  and  destroys  their  enamel,  when  they  soon 
begin  to  decay.  Caustics  are  equally  objectionable  to  the 
m«uth,  and  to  the  teeth  still  more  so.  There  is  not  the  least 
excuse  for  resorting  to  either  of  these  modes  of  treatment, 
for  the  swelling  can  readily  be  removed  by  the  courses  pre- 
scribed above. 


^ 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  277 


CHAPTER  XI. 
DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT. 

Diseases  of  the  throat  and  respiratory  organs  are  very 
common  among  the  horses  of  our  climate,  which  is  so  vari- 
able, and  subject  to  such  great  extremes  of  temperature  in  a 
short  time,  that  twenty-four  hours  is  sometimes  enough  to 
plunge  one  from  summer  heat  into  the  severity  of  winter. 
Perhaps  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  has,  in  this  respect,  one 
of  the  least  desirable  climates  within  the  temperate  zone. 
During  much  of  the  year,  also,  the  atmosphere  is  very  damp, 
especially  in  the  winter  and  spring  seasons.  The  horse  has 
nothing  but  the  superior  strength  of  his  system,  enabling 
him  better  to  resist  unfavorable  influences,  to  entitle  him  to 
any  exemption  from  most  of  the  diseases  of  humanity,  and 
this  advantage  is  apt  to  be  fully  overbalanced  by  the  greater 
exposure  he  is  compelled  to  undergo.  Hence  we  find  that 
the  horse's  throat  and  air-passages  are  as  subject  to  disease 
as  most  other  parts  of  his  body,  and  nearly  as  much  so  as 
those  of  the  human  being  in  the  same  latitudes. 

COLDS. 

This  is  the  simplest  and  most  common  of  the  class  of  dis-^ 
orders  under  consideration,  as  well  in  the  horse  as  with  his 
master.  When  we  consider  the  great  and  sometimes  pro- 
longed exposure  of  the  horse,  it  is  astonishing  that  he  does 
not  take  cold  more  frequently  than  he  does.  There  are 
many  farmers — and  it  is  something  for  which  every  humane 
person  must  be  thankful  that  their  number  is  constantly  in- 
creasing— who  are  as  careful  concerning  their  teams  as  the 
nature  of  their  duties  will  permit ;  and  who,  knowing  the 
advantages  of  good,  sufficient,  and  regular  feeding,  of  com- 


278  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

fortable  stables,  and  of  warm  blankets  at  the  proper  tinae, 
practically  improve  that  knowledge  in  the  habitual  manage- 
ment and  keeping  of  their  stock.  Such  exeniplify  the  Scrip- 
tural proverb  that  "  a  merciful  man  is  merciful  to  his  beast," 
and  are  repaid  thrice  over,  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view  alone, 
for  their  humanity. 

But,  to  the  shame  of  our  race,  this  class  does  not  embrace 
all  horse  owners.  Let  us  put  a  case,  such  as  has  its  counter- 
part every  winter  in  nearly  every  neighborhood  in  our  land. 
The  horse  is  forced  to  his  utmost  speed  through  mud  and 
water,  storm  and  sleet,  that  his  master  may  the  sooner  reach 
home,  there  to  exchange  the  pelting  storm  and  piercing  blast 
for  a  comfortable  room,  a  blazing  fire,  and  a  downy  bed. 
The  horse,  however,  is  either  put  into  a  cold,  open  stable,  or 
is  turned  into  the  yard,  where  the  mud  is  knee-deep.  His 
blood  is  boiling  from  the  severity  with  which  he  has  been 
driven;  the  snow  and  sleet  melt  upon  his  back;  freezing 
winds  chill  his  whole  frame,  and,  through  all  the  dreary 
night,  he  stands  out  in  the  weather,  shivering  and  shaking 
with  cold.  Next  morning  he  is  found  on  the  sheltered  side 
of  a  straw  stack,  or  in  some  fence-corner — his  body  drawn 
up  almost  in  a  heap,  his  hind  and  fore-feet  almost  together, 
his  ears  half  drawn  back,  and  his  whole  appearance  the  very 
picture  of  misery.  As  the  thoughtless  master,  (for  let  us  be 
charitable,  and  suppose  his  cruelty  is  not  really  intentional,) 
at  a  late  hour,  makes  his  appearance  with  the  morning  feed, 
the  plaintive  whicker,  the  dull  eye  brightening  a  little,  with 
evident  effort,  and  the  stiffened,  tired  limbs  well-nigh  refusing 
obedience  to  the  will,  show  too  plainly  the  mischief  that  has 
been  done :  the  horse  has  taken  cold.     How  could  he  help  it? 

But  the  weather  moderates,  the  warm  sun  shines  out,  and 
the  horse  appears  as  well,  or  nearly  so,  as  ever.  Time  passes, 
and  that  dreadful  night  is  forgotten  by  the  owner,  who  never 
once  has  thought  of  connecting  with  it  the  idea  of  any  in- 
jury to  his  horse.  After  a  time,  however — a  week,  a  fort- 
night, or  a  month — we  hear  the  somewhat  alarmed  remark, 
"I  wonder  what  has  given  my  horse  such  a  cough?"     Or, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  '  279 

"  Mj  horse  had  a  dreadful  attack  of  colic  last  night,  and 
came  near  dying.  He  has  not  been  subject  to  colic.  I  won- 
der what  could  have  caused  it?"  Or,  "I  have  noticed,  for  a 
few  days,  that  he  has  been  running  at  the  nose.  What. can 
be  the  matter?"  Or,  '*  One  of  his  eyes  is  terribly  inflamed 
this  morning,  and.  is  running  water.  I  begin  to  fear  his 
gight  is  not  so  sound  as  I  thought  it  was."  And  so  one 
might  go  on  enumerating  a  dozen  ailments  that,  at  such  a  time, 
are  liable  to  excite  the  surprise  and  anxiety  of  the  master. 

My  dear,  and  now  deeply-interested  friend,  just  set  your 
wits  to  work,  and  see  if  you  can  not  discover  a  cause  for  all 
this.  If  you  fail  in  this,  come  with  me,  and  let  us  counsel 
together ;  for,  "  in  the  multitude  of  counsel,  there  is  safety." 

Together,  Ave  may  perhaps  be  enabled  to  connect  eftect 
with  cause,  and  thus  arrive  at  the  origin  of  the  whole 
trouble.  Let  us  go  backward,  in  memory,  for  a-  few  weeks, 
to  that  hard  drive,  that  bitter  cold  night,  and  that  over- 
heated, steaming  horse,  exposed  to  all  its  severities,  and  then 
to  the  next  morning,  when  you  found  him  in  the  fence  cor- 
ner, or  behind  the  straw-stack,,  quaking  with  the  cold.  Look 
at  him  again,  my  honest  friend,  as  he  stands  there,  with  such 
a  pitiful,  beseeching  look,  drawn  and  doubled  up,  and  that 
pleading,  imploring  whicker  for  better  treatment,  as  you 
come  out  to  his  mud-lot  to  give  him  a  feed  of  corn  in  a 
trough  half  filled  with  snow,  and  in  the  full  sweep  of  the 
wind,  at  the  highest  part  of  the  lot.  I^eed  you  wonder  that 
your  horse  is  sick?  Would  not  such  exposure  be  a  sufficient 
explanation  of  an  attack  of  illness,  or  perhaps  a  death-bed, 
in  your  own  case?  But  you  say,  "I  am  not  a  horse,  and 
that  is  the  difference."  True ;  but  a  horse  is  flesh  and  blood, 
and  his  physical  being  is  governed  by  the  same  laws  as  is 
yours ;  and,  after  all,  a  horse  is  capable  of  bearing  but  lit- 
tle more  exposure  than  a  man. 

And  now,  for  your  own  good,  and  for  the  improvement 
of  your  future  practice,  let  me  say,  kindly,  yet  firmly,  what 
is  patent  to  every  discriminating  veterinarian :  "  This  is  work 
of  your  own  doing.     You  are  the  responsible  party;  and,  if 


280  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

the  horse  has  sickened,  and  should  die  from  such  treatment, 
it  is  you  who  have  killed  him,  and  that  just  as  surely  as 
though  you  had  broken  his  neck,  or  taken  an  ax  and  split 
open  his  skull."  We  are  of  the  deliberate  opinion  that  two- 
thirds  of  the  cases  of  lung  and  throat  diseases  in  the  horse 
are  the  offspring  of  bad  treatment,  of  unnecessary  exposure, 
and  of  colds  contracted  by  neglect  and  unkindness. 

It  will  not  be  difficult  to  trace  the  connection  between 
cause  and  effect,  so  as  to  get,  at  least,  some  proximate  idea 
of  how  these  exposures  ajid  colds  form  the  beginnings  of  so 
many  serious  attacks  of  disease.  The  powerful  efforts  which 
Nature  makes  to  throw  oft*  the  consequences  of  the  bad  treat- 
ment inflicted  on  the  dumb  sufferer,  only  serve  to  lull  sus- 
picion to  rest.  ^Nevertheless,  these  very  efforts  are  often  the 
sure  means  of  producing  local  or  specific  disease.  Their  ef- 
fects are  extremely  likely  to  concentrate  upon  some  particu- 
lar part  or  member  of  the  body — the  nose,  head,  brain,  throat, 
lungs,  stomach,  bowels,  feet,  the  glands,  skin,  tissues,  mem- 
branes, tendons,  joints,  bones — we  know  not  what  pprtion 
may  suffer;  but  rarely  will  the  horse  escape  without  some 
of  them  becoming  involved.  It  "v^ould  be  impossible,  in  most 
instances,  to  assign  ai  positive  reason  why  any  particular 
organ  sufters  more  than  another.  Possibly  it  has  been  weak- 
ened by  some  strain  or  lesion  of  the  parts ;  but  of  this  we 
can  seldom  speak  with  certainty. 

All  the  vessels  and  passages  of  the  body  are  liable  to  be 
more  or  less  deranged  in  action  for  the  time  being,  if  not 
permanently  injured,  from  the  effects  of  the  circumstances 
we  are  considering;  the  pores  of  the  skin  are  closed;  the 
capillaries  are  congested;  the  secretions  cease  to  flow;  the 
bk)od  is  thickened,  and  circulates  unequally  in  different  parts 
of  the  body;  the  glands  become  swollen,  and  the  walls  of  the 
air-passages  and  ducts  are  enlarged  and  sore.  INow  comes 
on  a  struggle  with  the  powers  of  ITature,  to  see  in  which  part 
this  fiery  ordeal  of  heat  and  inflammation  shall  reach  its 
greatest  height.  Some  weaker  organ  is  the  one  that  first 
succumbs.     Here  the  fever  rises  higher  and  higher,  and  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  281 

inflammation  increases.  The  empoisoned  virus  of  the  blood 
rushes  to  this  more-heated  part  as  surely  (and  on  somewhat 
the  same  principle,  too)  as  the  oil  flows  through  the  wick  to 
the  flame  of  the  burning  lamp. 

"We  have  pursued  this  subject  at  some  length,  because 
right  here  is  the  ground- work  of  the  difficulty^  Here  are 
the  fountains  of  disease,  whose  streams  so  often  ruin  the 
horse.  In  seven  cases  out  of  ten,  disease  is  generated  by 
mismanagement,  bad  treatment,  and  exposure,  and  thou- 
sands of  the  best  horses  in  the  United '  States  die  annually 
from  these  causes. 

This  great  aggregate  of  unnecessary  suflering,  and  these 
vast  sacrifices  of  pecuniary  interest  consequent  upon  it, 
might  be  saved  by  better  practices  on  the  part  of  the 
farmer  and  horseman.  When  a  system  of  humane  and  ju- 
dicious treatment  has  been  univei'saljy  adopted  in  respect 
to  the  horse,  the  pristine  vigor  of  his  race  will  perhaps  be 
nearly  attained,  even  in  circumstances  of  servitude  to  man ; 
and,  .at  any  rate,  the  field  of  labor  of  the  veterinary  surgeon 
will  be  "not  a  little  circumscribed,  and  his  practice  greatly 
simplified. 

In  the  moral  universe,  no  relation  can  exist  without  some 
corresponding  obligation.  Man's  relation  to  the  brute  cre- 
ation is  that  of  lord,  of  master,  and  by  that  he  is  obligated 
to  become,  at  the  same  time,  a  protector  and  provider.  As 
a  moral  duty,  the  prevention  of  sufl:ering  is  made  binding 
upon  him  by  the  law  of  the  Creator,  of  whose  ordaining  it 
is  that  the  brutes  have  been  made  subject  to  his  dominion, 
or  even  capable  of  subserving  his  purposes.  An  act  of  cru- 
elty, whether  we  commit  it  ourselves,  or  simply  permit  it 
to  be  done,  is  a  grievous  wrong,  and  it  is  a  sin  against  God. 

The  weather  being  unfavorable,  if  the  horse  is  much 
heated  from  his  daily  labors,  by  all  means  give  him  a  good, 
warm,  dry  stable,  with  a  clean  bed  of  straw,  and  have  mat- 
ters so  arranged  that  he  can  lie  down  and  rest  during  the 
night.  If  very  cold,  cover  his  body  with  a  warm  blanket. 
It  would  be  no  more  than  you  should  be  prompted  to  do, 


282  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

bj  considerations  of  decency  and  gratitude,  to  take  a  blanket 
from  your  own  bed,  if  need  be,  in  order  to  furnisb  your  faith- 
ful servant  a  proper  protection  after  bringing  you  through 
the  pitiless  storm,  over  many  a  weary  mile,  safely  to  youi 
own  home,  even  should  you  then  have  to  sit  up  half  the 
night  to  keep  up  the  fire  in  your  own  room,  that  you  might 
not  suffer  from  cold. 

Great  care  should  be  regularly  exercised  in  regard  to  food. 
Under  no  circumstances  should  the  heated  horse  be  given 
corn.  If,  unfortunately,  nothing  else  is  at  hand,  better  let 
him  stand  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  until  the  heat  subsides, 
his  blood  cools,  and  his  stomach  is  in  proper  condition  to 
receive  such  stimulating  food ;  and,  meantime,  give  him  a 
little  water,  and  some  salt  in  his  trough  to  lick.  If  hay  or 
any  soft  feed  is  at  hand,  give  him  this  first.  A  bran-mash, 
some  meal,  or  some  cut  feed,  will  be  the  best.  We  say  again 
that  a  horse  which  has  performed  severe  labor  during  the 
day,  and  at  night  goes  to  the  stable  hot  and  tired,  should 
never  have  any  corn  until  morning,  if  any  other  food  can 
possibly  be  procured. 

ENLARGED    GLANDS. 

One  of  the  forms  of  disease  specially  treated  of  in  this 
chapter,  is  what  may  be  classed  under  the  general  head  of 
enlarged  glands.  It  embraces  those  swellings  of  the  glands 
of  the  mouth  and  throat  that  are  unaccompanied  by  any 
severer  malady,  such  as  they  are  so  often  the  mere  symp- 
toms of.  While  this  condition  may  not  be  a  specific  or  per- 
manent disorder,  but  simply  the  temporary  effects  of  cold 
and  exposure,  its  tendency  is  toward  that  termination.  It 
should,  therefore,  be  watched  carefully,  and,  if  it  lingers 
about  at  all,  it  should  be  treated  much  in  the  same  way  as 
will  be  directed  in  the  next  section  for 

SWELLED   THROAT. 

This  general  term,  we  are  persuaded,  will  better  suit  the 
farmer's  uses  than  more  minute  divisions  of  highly-educated 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  283 

and  scientific  practitioners,  some  of  whom  have  a  specific 
name  for  the  disease  of  every  little  organ  in  the  throat.  As 
our  work  is  designed  for  the  farmer,  we  prefer  to  adopt  this 
name  instead  of  the  others.  This  whole  class  of  diseases,  in 
the  causes,  development,  and  treatment  of  each,  are  so  much 
alike  amid  all  their  slight  diversities  of  location,  that  this  can 
be  done  without  any  serious  confusion  or  lack  of  precision. 

While  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  the  pages  for  one  of 
the  preceding  chapters,  we  saw  a  case  of  this  kind  on  Wal- 
nut Hills,  near  Cincinnati.  It  was  swelled  throat  from  the 
effects  of  cold  and  inflammation  of  the  glands. 

These  inflammations  often  become  chronic,  and  not  a  few 
of  the  obstinate  coughs  that  so  much  trouble  both  the  horse 
and  his  owner  have  their  origin  right  here. 

Laryngitis,  or  inflammation  of  the  larynx,  is  the  most 
common  disease,  which  we  may  consider  under  the  general 
name  at  the  head  of  this  section.  Mr.  Youatt  gives  this  de- 
scription of  it : 

"Its  approach  is  often  insidious,  scarcel}^  to  be  distin- 
guished from  catarrh,  except  by  being  attended  with  more 
soreness  of  throat,  and  less  enlargement  of  the  parotid 
glands.  There  are,  also,  more  decided  and  violent  parox- 
ysms of  coughing  than  in  common  catarrh,  attended  by  a 
gurgling  noise,  which  may  be  heard  at  a  little  distance  from 
the  horse,  and  which,  by  auscultation,  is  decidedly  referable 
to  the  larynx.  The  breathing  is  shorter  and  quicker,  and 
evidently  more  painful  than  catarrh  ;  the  membrane  of  the 
nose  is  redder ;  it  is  of  a  deep  modena  color ;  and  the  horse 
shrinks  and  exhibits  great  pain  when  the  larynx  is  pressed 
upon.  The  paroxysms  of  coughing  become  more  frequent  and 
violent,  and  the  animal  appears,  at  times,  almost  suffocated. 

"As  the  soreness  of  the  throat  proceeds,  the  head  of  the 
animal  is  projected,  and  the  neck  has  a  peculiar  stiffness. 
There  is,  also,  much  difliculty  of  swallowing.  Considerable 
swelling  of  the  larynx  and  the  pharynx  ensue,  and  also  of 
the  parotid,  sublingual,  and  submaxillary  glands.  As  the  in- 
flammation increases,  the  cough  becomes  hoarse  and  feeble, 


V 


284  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.' 

and,  m  some  cases,  altogether  suspended.    At  the  commence 
ment,  there  is  usually  little  or  no  nasal  defluxion,  but  the  se- 
cretion soon  appears,  either  pure  or  mixed  with  an  unusual 
quantity  of  saliva. 

"He  who  is  desirous  of  ascertaining  whether  there  is  any 
disease  in  the  larynx  of  a  horse  should  apply  his  ear  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  windpipe.  If  he  finds  that  the  air  passes 
in  and  out  without  interruption,  there  is  no  disease  of  any 
consequence  either  in  the  windpipe  or  the  chest,  for  it  would 
immediately  be  detected  by  the  loudness  or  the  interruption 
of  the  murmur.  Then  let  him  gradually  proceed  up  the  neck, 
with  his  ear  still  upon  the  windpipe.  Perhaps  he  soon  begins 
to  recognize  a  little  gurgling,  grating  sound.  As  he  continues 
to  ascend,  that  sound  is  more  decisive,  mingled  with  an  occa- 
sional wheezing,  whistling  noise.  He  can  have  no  surer  proof 
that  here  is  the  impediment  to  the  passage  of  the  air,  pro- 
ceeding from  the  thickening  of  the  membrane  and  diminution 
of  the  passage,  or  increased  secretion  of  mucus,  w^hich  bub- 
bles and  rattles  as  the  breath  passes.  By  the  degree  of  the 
rattling  or  whistling,  the  owner  will  judge  which  cause  of 
obstruction  preponderates — in  fact,  he  will  have  discovered 
the  seat  and  the  state  of  the  disease,  and  the  sooner  he  has 
recourse  to  professional  advice  the  better." 

These  inflammations  of  the  throat  are  generally  accom- 
panied by  cold  or  coughs,  and  occasionally  by  bronchitis. 
Particular  glands  are  frequently  congested,  and  become  choked 
up,  their  secretions  becoming  thickened,  so  that  they  do  not 
flow  readily,  or  perhaps  not  at  all.  Soreness  and  inflamma- 
tion arise;  the  glands  swell  and  puff  out  on  the  under  side 
of  the  throat,  and,  if  this  condition  is  not  bettered  soon,  an 
abscess  will  form,  which  may  perhaps  go  on  until  it  requires 
opening  with  the  lancet. 

TREATMENT. 

Whatever  is  done  ought  to  be  done  quickly,  for  some- 
times these  throat  diseases  are  very  rapid  in  their  action. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  285t 

The  first  resort  will  be  bleeding,  as  usually  the  attack  is  not 
detected  until  it  has  progressed  so  far  that  blood-letting  is 
absolutely  necessary.  By  opening  the  neck  vein,  much 
blood  is  abstracted  from  the  very  seat  of  the  disease,  and 
the  fever  will  be  considerably  lessened  in  this  entire  region. 
Let  the  blood  run  until  the  pulse  falters.  You  are  attack- 
ing the  inflammation,  not  the  horse,  and  there  need  be  no 
fears  about  his  bleeding  to  death. 

After  this,  prepare  the  following  remedy,  to  be  used  as  a 
wash  :  One  ounce  of  chlorate  of  potash,  two  ounces  of  golden 
seal,  and  forty  grains  of  tartar  emetic.  Mix  these  in  one 
pint  of  water,  and,  dividing  into  nine  doses,  give  three  of 
them  daily,  each  morning,  noon,  and  night. 

Apply  the  corrosive  liniment  to  the  outside  of  the  throat 
for  two  mornings,  and,  if  the  throat  is  swelling  much,  it  will 
abate  the  symptoms  readily.  If  an  abscess  is  forming,  sub- 
stitute the  May-apple  liniment. 

In  a  mild  case  of  sore  throat,  the  bleeding  may  be  omitted, 
and,  also,  the  corrosive  liniment.  But  use  the  throat-wash, 
as  directed;  and,  for  three  mornings,  bathe  the  under  side  of 
the  throat  and  between  the  jaw  bones  with  a  hot  decoction 
of  tobacco. 

COUGH. 

!N'early  every  disease  of  the  respiratory  organs  is  accom- 
panied by  a  cough  more  or  less  severe.  An  extreme  irrita- 
bility of  the  throat,  the  windpipe,  and  the  lungs,  from  the 
effects  of  disease  and  the  influence  of  the  air  upon  the  sore 
and  inflamed  parts,  is  very  commonly  a  feature  of  all  disor- 
ders of  this  class.  A  cold  atmosphere  is  exceedingly  annoy- 
ing to  a  sore  throat,  and,  if  drawn  suddenly  into  the  lungs,  is 
pretty  sure  to  excite  a  coughing  spell. 

In  human  pathology,  one  of  the  most  frequent  causes  of 
coughing  is  the  enlargement  and  soreness  of  the  tonsils. 
These  organs  are  situated  on  each  side  of  the  palate,  and  pro- 
ject outwardly  and  over  the  glottis  (the  upper  part  of  the 
trachea),  in  the  shape  of  an  almond.  Located  in  the  tonsils 
are  the  small  openings  of  a  number  of  cells,  or  cavities,  from 


•v 


286  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

which  flows  a  transparent  mucus,  which  is  pressed  out  in  the 
act  of  swallowing,  and  is  designed  to  lubricate  the  throat,  so 
that  the  food  may  pass  without  friction  through  the  pharynx 
into  the  oesophagus,  on  its  way  to  the  stomach.  The  tonsils 
are  often  sore  and  swollen;  the  little  openings  close,  so  that 
.  no  mucus  flows  from  them ;  the  mouth  and  throat  become 
dry  and  irritable,  and  then  there  is  coughing.  This  act  is 
simply  an  efibrt,  often  involuntary,  to  obtain  relief  from  the 
dry,  itchy,  and  irritable  feeling  in  the  throat,  and  to  force  the 
tonsils  to  disgorge  the  mucus  from  its  cells;  and  when  a  suf- 
ficient quantity  has  been  forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  the 
muscles,  in  coughing,  to  once  more  lubricate  the  throat,  the 
unpleasant  sensations  subside,  there  is  a  temporary  respite, 
and  the  cough  ceases  for  awhile. 

The  horse,  however,  has  no  tonsils  such  as  the  human 
species  is  furnished  with,  and  hence  his  cough  can  not  pro- 
ceed from  exactly  the  same  cause  as  that  here  mentioned ; 
yet  the  same  eff*ect  is  produced  in  his  case  by  dryness  of  the 
lining  membrane  of  the  trachea  and  air-passages  of  the  lungs. 
The  secretions  of  the  parotid  and  other  glands  furnish  a  vapor 
to  the  warm  air,  as  it  is  inhaled  in  the  act  of  respiration,  and 
this  vapor  is  deposited  on  the  smooth,  delicate  mucous  mem- 
brane which  lines  the  nasal  cavities,  the  mouth,  the  throat, 
and  air-passages,  and  serves  to  keep  it  moist.  Inflammation 
and  fever  tend  to  evaporate  this  moisture  much  faster  than 
it  is  supplied,  and  the  membrane  is  left  dry.  Coughing  is 
the  method  by  which  Kature  seeks  to  force  an  increased  sup- 
ply of  moisture  from  the  glands,  in  order  that  the  membrane 
may  receive  the  vapory  deposits  necessary  to  its  comfort. 

One  very  important  object  obtained  by  the  act  of  coughing 
is  the  disgorgement  of  the  morbid  secretions,  which  are 
'  thrown  out  by  the  glands  of  the  mouth  and  throat,  and  some- 
times by  the  lungs.  Instead  of  being  a  thin,  transparent 
fluid,  these  are  changed  into  a  thick,  coagulated  mucus, 
sometimes  even  tough  and  stringy  in  character.  Of  this 
large  quantities  are  removed  in  the  acts  of  coughing  and  ex- 
pectoration, and  the  relief  thus  obtained  is  very  great.    Much 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  287 

of  the  labor  of  chronic  cough  consists  in  the  disgorging  and 
throwing  out  this  irritating  and  troublesome  matter  from  the 
4|ings  and  air-passages. 

Another  slight  benefit  arising  from  coughing,  yet  only  very 
temporary  at  best,  is  effected  by  the  rapidity  with  which  the 
air  rushes  over  the  dry  and  irritated  surface,  for  the  moment 
cooling  its  fever  and  allaying  the  burning  heat.  A  slight 
friction  of  the  parts  is  also  produced,  which  serves  very 
much  the  same  ends  as  a  gentle  scratching,  where  it  itches 
and  burns. 

The  sound  of  coughing  is  occasioned  by  the  violent  con- 
cussion of  the  air,  as  it  is  forced  from  the  lungs  through  the 
glottis  into  the  larynx,  in  which  are  formed  the  vocal  into- 
nations of  man  and  all  the  higher  tyipes  of  animals. 

Any  disease  that  affects  the  respiratory  organs  and  pas- 
sages, whether  the  various  parts  of  the  throat,  or"  the  trachea, 
the  bronchi,  the  lungs,  or  the  pleura,  to  such  an  extent  that 
fever  and  inflammation  are  caused,  will  give  rise  to  a  cough. 
If  the  disease  becomes  chronic,  so  will  the  cough.  The  latter 
will  share  the  fate  of  the  other  in  that  case ;  yet  cough  some-  *^ 
times  remains  after  an  acute  attack  of  disease  has  been  pretty 
thoroughly  subdued.  Among  the  various  ailments  in  which 
coughs  originate,  we  may  name  the  following :  Soreness  and 
inflammation,  of  whatever  sort,  of  tke  throat  and  its  pas- 
sages, and  of  the  trachea  and  lungs;  bronchitis,  pneumonia, 
consumption,  and  pleurisy. 

There  are  other  diseases  that  at  times  sympathetically  af- 
fect the  lungs  and  throat,  and  are  apt  to  be  marked  by  more 
or  less  of  coughing,  though  this  will  pass  away  when  the 
more  severe  symptoms  of  the  disorder  disappear.  Such  are 
indigestion,  worms,  derangement  of  the  Uver,  and  distemper.     , 

TREATMENT.  ^  '   .    1 

This  may  prove  somewhat  difficult,  as  coughs  "^e  often 
obstinate  and  unyielding.  Usually  the  cough  may  be  abated 
in  a  short  time,  and  perhaps  to  a  very  great  extent;  but  a 
cough  stopped  is,  by  no  means,  one  cured.     It  clings  in- 

♦  ,  ■  ■ 


288  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.  ' 

separably  to  the  disease  which  produced  it,  and  occasionally 
even  remains  after  that  disease  has  been  utterly  routed. 
Only  those  cases  which  are  lingering  or  chronic  will  require 
special  directions  for  treatment,  as  all  others  wdll  yield  to  the 
remedies  that  cure  the  diseases  in  which  they  originated. 

Tke  proper  time  to  begin  the  treatment  of  a  cough  which 
makes  its  appearance  as  one  of  the  fruits  of  exposure  and 
colds,  is  at  its  earliest  development.  The  first  time  the  horse 
is  heard  to  cough,  notice  should  be  taken. of  the  fact,  and  its 
cause  be  investigated  at  once  and  diligently.  If  it  proves  to 
be  occasioned  simply  by  dust  or  chaft*,  nothing  will  be  re- 
quired but  to  give  the  animal  a  drink  of  water.  On  the  other 
hand,  should  it  be  from  a  cold  or  sore  throat,  active  treatment 
should  be  begun  forthwith.  Put  the  ear  to  the  throat,  near  the 
jaw-bone,  to  ascertain  whether  any  rattling  of  the  larynx  or 
the  glottis  can  be  detected;  and  note  carefully  whether  the 
horse,  in  drinking,  gulps  his  water  and  straightens  his  neck 
after  swallowing,  as  though  it  hurt  him.  Such  symptoms  as 
either  of  these  indications  constitute  must  not  be  neglected. 

Extract  from  the  jugular  or  neck  vein  three  quarts  of 
blood.  Then  prepare  as  follows:  One  table-spoonful  of  gun- 
powder, one  of  soft  soap,  two  of  lard,  one  of  tar,  and  one  of 
gum  myrrh,  finely  pulverized.  Mix  this  well,  and  divide  into 
six  doses.  Each  morning  put  one  of  them  down  the  horse's 
throat  with  a  paddle  or  spoon,  and  at  night  drench  him  with 
half  a  gill  of  the  solution  of  chlorate  of  potash — one  ounce 
of  the  chlorate  of  potash  to  a  pint  of  water. 

After  this,  if  he  stands  in  the  stable,  give  as  much  sulphur 
and  resin  as  he  can  be  induced  to  eat;  but  if  in  time  of 
pasture,  green  grass  will  be  the  best"  thing  in  the  world  for 
hina. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year,  bleeding  may  not  be  necessary, 
unless  the  horse's  condition  is  very  bad.  In  a  mild  case,  the 
faithful  use  of  the  throat  medicine,  with  a  careful  bathing 
of  the  throat,  for  two  or  three  successive  mornings,  with  the 
hot  decoction  of  tobacco,  will  nearly  always  remove  the 
cough.    But  in  the  winter,  the*  case  will  be  pretty  sure  to  be 


^r 


•  DISEASES  OF  THE  THEOAT.  '  289 

obstinate,  sufficiently  so  to  necessitate  active  and  energetic 
employment  of  the  whole  treatment. 

MALIGNANT   EPIDEMIC* 

"In  1714,  a  malignant  epidemic  was  imported  from  the 
Continent,  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  months,  destroyed 
70,000  horses  and  cattle.  It  continued  to  visit  other  coun- 
tries, with  but  short  intervals,  for  fifty  years  afterward.  Out 
of  evil,  however,  came  good.  The  continental  agriculturists 
were  alarmed  by  the  destruction  of  their  property.  The 
different  governments  participated  in  the  terror,  and  veter- 
inary schools  were  established,  in  which  the  anatomy  and 
diseases  of  these  animals  might  be  studied,  and  the  cause 
and  treatment  of  these  periodical  pests  discovered.  From 
the  time  that  this  branch  of  medical  science  began  to  receive 
the  attention  it  deserved,  these  epidemics,  if  they  have  not 
quite  ceased,  have  changed  their  character,  and  have  become 
comparatively  mild  and  manageable.     As,  however,  they  yet  0 

occur,  and  far  too  fatal,  we  must   endeavor  to  collect  the  4k 

symptoms,  and  point  out  the  treatment  of  them.  • 

"The  malignant  epidemic  was  almost  uniformly  ushered 
in  by  inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  respira--         "^ 
tory  passages,  but  soon  involving  other  portions,  and  then 
ensued  a  diarrhea,  which  no  art  could   arrest.     The  fever, 
acute  at  first,  rapidl}^  passed  over,  and  was  succeeded  by  great,      ;       ^  . 
prostration  of  strength.     The   inflammation  then  spread  to  *  * 

the  cellular  texture,  and  there  was  a  peculiar  disposition  to 
the  formation  of  phlegmonous  tumors;  sometimes  there  were 
pustular  eruptions,  but  oftener  deep-seated  tumors  rapidly 
proceeding  to  suppuration.  Connected  with  this  was  a  strong  *  ^ 
tendency  to  decomposition,  and,  unless  the  animal  was  re- 
lieved by  some  critical  flux  or  evacuation,  malignant  typhus 
was  established,  and  the  horse  speedily  sunk.  ^ 

"  The  most  satisfactory  account  of  one  of  these  epidemics  is 


*The  ravages  of  this  epidemic  lorm  a  highly  interesting,  though  startling, 
page  in  the  history  of  veterinary  science.  The  epitome  embodied  in  this  sec- 
tion is  from  Youatt. 

19 


« 


'  'i 


290  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

given  us  by  Professor  Brugnone,  of  Turin.  It  commenced 
with  loss  of  appetite,  staring  coat,  a  wild  and  wandering 
look,  and  a  staggering  from  the  very  commencement.  The 
horse  would  continually  lie  down  and  get  up  again,  as  if  tor- 
mented by  colic;  and  he  gazed  alternately  at  both  flanks. 
In  moments  of  comparative  ease,  there  were  universal  twitch- 
ings  of  the  skin  and  spasms  of  the  limbs.  The  temperature 
of  the  ears  and  feet  was  variable.  If  there  happened  to  be 
about  the  animal  any  old  wound  or  scar  from  setoning  or 
firing,  it  opened  afresh  and  discharged  a  quantity  of  thick 
and  black  blood.  Very  shortly  afterward  the  flanks,  which 
were  quiet  before,  began  to  heave,  the  nostrils  were  dilated, 
the  head  extended  for  breath.  The  horse  had,  by  this  time, 
become  so  weak  that,  if  he  lay  or  fell  down,  he  could  rise  no 
more ;  or  if  he  was  up,  he  would  stand  trembling,  stagger- 
ing, and  threatening  to  fall  every  moment.  The  mouth  was 
dry,  the  tongue  white,  and  the  breath  fetid ;  a  discharge  of 
yellow  or  bloody  fetid  matter  proceeded  from  the  nose,  and 
fetid  blood  from  the  anus.  The  duration  of  the  disease  did 
not  usually  exceed  twelve  or  twenty-four  hours;  or,  if  the 
animal  lingered  on,  swellings  of  the  head  and  throat,  and 
sheath  and  scrotum,  followed,  and  he  died  exhausted  or  in 
convulsions. 

"  Black  spots  of  extravasation  were  found  in  the  cellular 
membrane,  in  the  tissue  of  all  the  membranes,  and  on  the 
stomach.  The  mesenteric  and  lymphatic  glands  were  en- 
gorged, black,  and  gangrenous.  The  membrane  of  the  nose 
and  pharynx  was  highly  injected,  the  lungs  were  filled  with 
black  and  frothy  blood,  or  with  black  and  livid  spots.  The 
brain  and  its  meninges  were  unaltered." 

■     '  DIFFICULTY   OF   BREATHING. 

Many  horses  give  evidence  of.  considerable  difficulty  in 
breathing,  and  to  such  an  extent,  in  many  cases,  that  the  an- 
imal is  incapacitated  for  any  thing  but  the  slowest  kind  of 
work.  Such  a  condition  may  result  from  a  partial  change 
in  the  organization  of  the  substance  of  the  lungs,  or  from 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  291 

some  obstruction  of  the  air-passages.  This  affection  of  the 
horse  is  variously  designated,  according  to  its  different  mani- 
festations. In  England,  the  sound  produced  is  what  decides 
the  name,  and  hence  veterinarians  and  horsemen  in  that  coun- 
try speak  of  roarers,  whistlers,  wheezers,  pipers,  etc.  There 
are, also,  the  terms  "thick  wind"  and  "broken  wind,"  both  of 
which  are  very  approp'riate,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  are  in 
use  in  this  country  as  well  as  in  Great  Britain.  Difficulty 
of  breathing,  in  the  Southern  States,  is  known  as  "  bellows," 
and  in  the  !N'orthern  States  as  "  heaves."  These  terms  relate 
to  precisely  the  same  affection — broken  wind — and  are  de- 
rived from  the  rapid  and  labored  motion  of  the  animal's 
flanks  in  respiration. 

Perhaps  it  would  serve  every  purpose  to  include  all  these 
distinctive  names  under  one  comprehensive  term,  such  as 
that  at  the  head  of  this  section ;  but,  as  the  farmer  will 
probably  recognize  what  they  stand  for  more  readily  under 
the  customary  titles,  we  will  treat  separately  broken  wind, 
thick  wind,  and  roaring.  The  former. two  are  most  com- 
monly the  permanent  effects  left  in  the  wake  of  those  two 
dreadful  diseases  bronchitis  and  pneumonia,  or  inflammation 
of  the  lungs. 

BROKEN  WIND,  BELLOWS,  AND  HEAVES. 

The  lungs  act  on  the  principle  of  a  pair  of  bellows,  worked 
by  the  power  of  the  respiratory  muscles.  If  they  are  im-  ^^, 
paired,  and  portions  of  them  closed  up,  it  will  require  a  more  '*■ 
labored  effort  of  the  muscles  to  keep  them  blowing.  As  ex- 
ercise increases,  the  blowing  increases  also,  in  both  volume 
and  rapidity,  and  greater  exertion  is  required,  of  course,  to 
blow  the  bellows  fast  than  slow.  The  action  of  the  lungs  is 
thus  much  quickened,  the  breathing  is  short,  and  the  sides 
puff  in  and  out  like  a  pair  of  bellows  indeed.  Hence  the 
name  by  which  this  affection  goes  in  Dixie,  while  the  syno- 
nym "  heaves,"  employed  in  Yankee-land,  originates  in  the 
same  peculiarity. 

In  broken  wind,  the  air  is  drawn  into  the  lungs — or  in- 


.  « 


292  AMERICAN  FAKMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

spired,  as  the  technical  word  is — somewhat  more  quickly  and 
laboriously  than  in  health ;  but,  when  it  is  forced  out  in  ex- 
piration, a  singular  and  characteristic  phenomenon  appears. 
This  is  a  peculiar  and  forcible  double  action,  the  ordinary 
expiration  being  succeeded  by  another,  evidently  a  labored 
one.  The  cause  of  this  is  a  change  in  the  structure  of  part 
of  the  lungs,  in  which  the  w/ills  between  some  of  the  air- 
cells  are  broken  down,  so  that  the  usual  action  of  the  respir- 
atory muscles  is  not  sufficiently  powerful  to  expel  all  the  air. 
Such  a  condition  is  called  emphysema.  In  the  second  expira- 
tion, all  the  muscles  of  the  chest  are  called  into  play. 

Says  "  Stonehenge : "  "  The  pressure  of  unchanged  air  is  a 
constant  source  of  irritation  to  the  lungs,  and,  although  suf- 
ficient may  be  expired  easily  enough  to  carry  on  their  func- 
tions while  the  body  is  at  rest,  yet,  instinctively,  there  is  a 
desire  to  get  rid  of  the  surplus,  and  hence  the  two  acts  of 
respiration.  Immediately  after  this  second  act  the  muscles 
relax,  and  the  flank  falls  in,  and  this  it  is  which  catches  the 
eye  in  so  remarkable  a  manner.  On  examination  after  death, 
the  lungs  are  found  to  remain  enlarged,  and  do  not  collapse, 
as  in  the  healthy  condition.  They  are  distended  with  air ; 
and  thft  is  especially  the  case  when  the  emphysema  is  of  the 
kind  called  interlobular,  in  which  the  air  has  escaped  into 
the  cellular  membrane.  In  the  most  common  kind,  however, 
the  cells  are  broken  down,  several  being  united  together, 
while  the  enlargement  pressing  upon  the  tube  which  has 
opened  into  them  diminishes  its  capacity  and  prevents  the 
ready  escape  of  air." 

TREATMENT. 

A  cure  of  broken  wind  is  impossible,  since  the  trouble 
originates  in  an  organic  injury.  The  ruptured  walls  of  the 
pulmonary  tissue  can  never  be  built  up  again  by  the  skill  or 
medication  of  man.  But  the  disease  may  be  greatly  palliated 
by  proper  attention  to  feeding,  and  regular  and  judicious  ex- 
ercise. The  horse  should  not  be  watered  for  at  least  an  hour 
before  going  to  work,  nor  be  put  at  severe  labor  while  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT.  293 

stomach  is  distended  with  food,  for  the  lungs  ought  to  have 
the  freest  and  fullest  play  possible.  Oats  will  be  an  excellent 
article  of  diet.  In  England,  carrots  are  considered  of  great 
benefit  in  this  and  similar  diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs. 

THICK   WIND,  WHEEZING,  ETC. 

Thick  wind  is  the  general  name  applied  to  the  defective 
respiration  of  the  horse  when  there  is  no  clearly-defined 
unnatural  noise,  and  there  are  no  signs  of  the  condition 
known  as  emphysema,  described  in  the  last  section.  It  is 
characterized  by  a  short,  quick,  and  labored  breathing,  as 
well  of  inspiration  as  of  expiration.  Sometimes  the  bron- 
chial tubes  are  the  seat  of  the  trouble,  from  their  diameter 
becoming  lessened  by  a  thickening  of  the  mucous  membrane 
with  which  they  are  lined  ;  but,  usually,  it  follows  pneumonia, 
and  is  caused  by  the  hepatization  of  a  portion  of  the  lungs — 
that  is,  some  of  the  air-cells  are  closed  up  or  obliterated,  so 
that  only  a  part  of  the  lungs  is  available  for  the  purposes  of 
respiration.  This  part  has  extra  labor  thrown  upon  it,  of 
course;  and/the  breathing  is  necessarily  quicker,  in  order 
that  the  blood,  which  it  was  intended  should  be  acted  upon 
by  the  air  in  every  portion  of  the  lungs,  may  not  suffer,  now 
that  only  a  part  of  their  air-surfaces  can  be  used. 

This  trouble  often  precedes  "broken  wind;"  but,  while 
that  disorder  is  the  effect  of  particular  afiections  of  the  lungs, 
nearly  all  of  them  are  attended  or  followed  by  thick  wind, 
or  wheezing.  Unlike  broken  wind,  the  latter  often  passes 
away  with  the  disease  that  produced  it. 

TREATMENT. 

This  will  be  of  the  same  character  as  that  prescribed  in  the 
last  section  for  broken  wind,  and  can  not  be  expected  to  do 
more  than  simply  mitigate  the  symptoms. 

ROARING. 

This  is  the  name  given  in  England  to  a  disease  exceedingly 
rare  in  this  country,  although  some  parts  of  Europe  contain 


294  AMEEICAN  FAKMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

a  great  many  roarers.  From  the  accounts  of  British  veter- 
inarians we  cull  the  following  statements  concerning  it :  It 
is  produced  by  obstruction  in  some  part  of  the  respiratory 
canal,  oftenest  in  the  larynx,  and  next  to  that  in  the  trachea. 
Sometimes  these  obstructions  are  originally  caused  by  bands 
of  coagulated  lymph  in  the  trachea,  or  elsewhere.  Chronic 
cough  occasionally  terminates  in  roaring.  The  majority  of 
roarers  are  draught  horses,  and  horses  of  quick  draught. 

Facts  are  said  to  establish  the  hereditary  predisposition  to 
this  aifection  beyond  a  doubt.  "  Major  Wilson,  of  Didling- 
ton,  England,"  had  a  valuable  stable  horse;  but  he  was  a 
roarer,  and  so  were  many  of  his  colts.  On  the  other  hand, 
"Eclipse"  and  "Taurus,"  two  celebrated  racers  of  England, 
were  roarers,  but  none  of  their  colts  were. 

This  is  a  rather  strange  concatena^tion  of  assertions  and 
contradictions  to  be  derived  from  the  same  sources ;  and  thus 
\^e  leave  the  subject  and  the  roarers  of  Euijland. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS.  295 


CHAPTER  XII. 
DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS. 


a  The  first  rib. 

6  The  cartilages  of  the  eleven  hindermost,  or  faUe  ribs,  connected  together, 
and  uniting  with  that  of  the  seventh  or  last  true  rib. 

c  The  breast-bone,  or  sternum. 

d  The  top,  or  point,  of  the  withers,  which  are  formed  by  the  lengthened 
spinous,  or  upright,  processes  of  the  first  ten  or  eleven  bones  of 
the  back.  The  bones  of  the  back  (dorsal  vertebroe)  are  eighteen  in 
number. 

e  The  ribs,  usually  eighteen  on  each  side ;.  the  first  seven  united  to  the  breast- 
bone by  cartilage  ;  the  cartilages  of  the  remaining  eleven  united  to 
each  other,  as  at  h. 

f  That  portion  of  the  spine  where  the  loins  commence,  and  composed  of  six 
bones  (the  lumbar  vertebroe). 

g  The  bones  forming  the  hip,  or  haunch,  and  into  the  hole  at  the  bottom  of 
which  the  head  of  the  thigh-bone  is  received.  * 

h  The  portion  of  the  spine  (the  sacrum)  belonging  to  the  haunch,  and  consist- 
ing of  five  pieces. 

i  The  bones  of  the  tail,  usually  seventeen  in  number. 

CHEST   FOUNDER. 

The  muscles  of  the  horse's  breast  are  sometimes  the  seat 
of  a  peculiar  soreuess  and  swelling  never  satisfactorily  ac- 
counted for,  and  not  known  to  be  connected  with  any  other 


296  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

disease.  Probably  this  condition  is  the  result  of  cold  settled 
in  these  muscles  from  some  cause;  or,  it  may  be,  from  some 
strain  or  lesion  of  them,  or  of  their  connection  with  the  tenr 
dons.  Some  have  supposed  it  to  be  a  form  of  rheumatism. 
The  affection  was  formerly  called  chest  founder,  and  by  that 
name  is  still  best  known  to  most  American  farmers. 

Whatever  the  real  causes  of  the  attack,  its  symptoms  are 
obvious  enough.  The  horse  manifests  pain  when  he  is 
touched;  there  is  evident  stiffness  of  the  shoulders  and  legs 
during  motion,  and,  at  times,  there  is  considerable  fever. 

TREATMENT. 

"Wash  the  breast  in  some  warm  salt  and  water  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  again  at  night ;  and  on  the  second  day  apply  the  cor- 
rosive liniment  to  the  chest.  Give  as  a  drench,  as  hot  as  the 
animal  can  bear  it,  a  pint  of  salt  and  water,  in  which  has  been 
stirred  half  an  ounce  of  ground  ginger  and  one  dram  of 
tartar  emetic.  Six  days  will  usually  be  long  enough  for  this 
to  do  its  work;  but,  if  necessary,  its  use  may  be  continued 
longer,  until  a  decided  improvement  is  perceptible. 

In  a  bad  case,  bleed  moderately. 

BRONCHITIS. 

Bronchitis  is  but  one  of  the  legitimate  fruits  of  exposure, 
such,  for  instance,  as  that  depicted  at  the  opening  of  the 
last  chapter,  where  we  saw  the  heated  and  steaming  horse 
turned  out  into  the  cold  and  biting  storm,  there  to  stand 
shivering  and  freezing  in  the  mud,  through  a  long  winter 
-jiight.  As  a  consequence  of  that  treatment,  there  was  first 
a  cold,  next  enlarged  glands,  and  then  swelled  throat.  Happy 
that  horse  and  owner  if  the  difficulty  goes  no  further  than 
this.  Sometimes  it  will  not;  but  often  the  inflammation 
creeps  downward  from  the  larynx  through  the  trachea  into 
the  bronchi  and  air-passages  of  the  lungs. 

Bronchitis  is  an  inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane 
lining  the  bronchial  tubes,  which  membrane,  becoming  filled 
with  blood,  the  diameter  of  the  tube  is  sensibly  diminished. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS.  297 

BO  that  some  diflSculty  and  an  increased  rapidity  of  breathing 
is  the  consequence.  "After  a  time,  a  frothy  mucus  is 
poured  from  the  membrane,  and  this  still  further  interferes 
with  respiration,  and  necessitates  a  constant  cough  to  get  rid 
of  it.  These  symptoms  are  always  present ;  but  they  will 
vary  gi^eatly  in  intensity,  and  in  the" rapidity  with  which  they 
progress,  from  which  circumstances  bronchitis  is  usually  said 
to  be  acute  or  chronic,  as  the  case  may  be." 

The  discharge  in  bronchitis  is  mainly  of  a  purulent,  mu- 
cous character,  with  clots  of  blood  and  plugs  of  matter  from 
the  nose.  The  disease  gradually  steals  its  way  along  the  line 
of  the  trachea  to  the  air-tubes,  and  even  the  substance  of  the 
lungs,  and  the  inexperienced  will  have  some  difficulty  in 
distinguishing  it  from  pneumonia,  which  is  its  very  frequent 
termination.  The  horse  is  very  sensitive  to  pain,  and  his 
nerves  are  all  alive  to  excitement.  That  he  feels  the  full 
force  of  his  suffering  is  manifest  by  his  haggard  look,  and 
also  by  his  evident  dread  of  suffocation,  which  causes  him  to 
remain  standing  and  motionless.  There  is  a  hard,  dry  cough ; 
the  breathing  is  hot,  and  noticeably  quickened;  the  pulse  is 
full  and  rapid,  beating  sixty  or  seventy  times  per  minute, 
and  the  membrane  of  the  nose  is  of  a  deep  florid  red. 

When  the  ear  is  placed  to  the  throat  and  chest,  (which  is 
that  most  useful  means  of  forming  a  true  diagnosis  of  all 
pulmonary  diseases,  which  the  books  describe  under  };he  namvj  n 
of  auscultation^  there  is  heard  a  dry,  ratt\ing  sound,  differing 
materially  from  the  crepitation — the  murmurous,  crackling 
sound — of  pneumonia.  Upon  the  formation  of  mucus,  this 
is  succeeded  by  gurgling,  and  what  have  been  called  "soap- 
bubble  sounds,"  forming  a  distinctive  feature  of  bronchitis 
that  is  easily  recognized. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  of  this  disease  is  so  nearly  identical  with 
that  to  be  prescribed  for  pneumonia,  in  the  next  section,  that 
it  will  be  sufficient  to  refer  the  reader  forward  to  that  con- 
nection. 


;^ 


298  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

PNEUMONIA,   OR  INFLAMMATION   OF   THE   LUNGS. 

This  follows  hard  after  bronchitis,  in  most  instances  where 
it  occurs,  and  the  horse  generally  dies.  In  only  a  small  pro- 
portion of  cases  is  it  possible  to  effect  a  cure.  Where  the 
horse  has  a  strong  constitution,  and  his  vital  forces  are  all  in 
energetic  play,  if  the  disease  be  attacked  in  season,  there  will 
be  some  chance  of  overcoming  and  removing  it.  The  pro- 
cess of  treatment,  however,  will  prove  long  and  arduous. 
Primary  or  pure  pneumonia,  as  it  is  called,  is  undoubtedly 
»  found  to  exist,  at  times,  without  attendant  bronchitis ;  but  it 
is  equally  certain  that  the  two  diseases  are  intimately  con- 
nected, in  the  great  majority  of  cases.  Perhaps  pure  pneu- 
monia is  oftener  accompanied,  or  rather  preceded,  by  bron- 
chial irritation  than  is  now  generally  supposed;  but  this 
symptom  being  so  involved  in  th6  severer  ones  which  follow 
after  with  great  rapidity,  it  is  apt  to  be  overlooked.  When 
the  progress  of  the  disease  is  slow,  however,  the  bronchial 
symptoms  are  seen  clearly  as  a  separate  link  in  the  chain. 

•  Pneumonia  is  commonly  ushered  in  with  a  chill,  the  horse 

shivering  all  over.     Presently  this  passes  off,  and  is  succeeded 

**  by  an  unnatural   degree  of  warmth.     Before  long  another 

chill  comes  on,  more  severe  than  the  former,  and  lasting 
somewhat  longer.  Thus  there  may  be  three  or  four  recur- 
rences of  these  chills  before  any  other  conspicuous  symptoms 
are  manifested.  The  extremities  are  deathly  cold  from  the 
very  outset.  On  putting  the  hand  to  the  legs  or  the  ears  this 
will  be  noticed  in  an  instant.  As  the  symptoms  progress,  the 
breathing  becomes  hurried  and  distressed,  averaging  about 
one  inspiration  each  second ;  the  pulse,  though  oppressed,  is 
quick,  running  up  to  sixty-five  or  seventy  per  minute;  the 
mouth  and  breath  are  very  hot;  there  is  a  short  and  evidently 
painful  cough ;  the  fore-feet  are  wide  apart,  from  the  animal's 
instinctive  effort  to  dilate  the  chest  as  much  as  possible ;  and 
the  sound  heard  in  auscultation  is  a  peculiar  crisp  crackling, 
which  some  have  likened  to  the  crackling  of  a  dried  bladder. 
This  sound  is  caused  by  the  infiltration  of  blood  into  the  air- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS.  299  . 

cells.  The  langs  are  in  a  state  of  fearful  congestion',  and  it 
often  happens  that  simple  congestion,  such  as  maybe  caused 
by  violent  over-exertion  at  any  time,  brings  on  an  attack  of 
pneumonia. 

"  The  unfavorable  symptoms,"  says  Youatt,  '*  are,  increased 
coldness  of  the  ears  and  feet,  if  that  be  possible;  partial 
sweats ;  grinding  of  the  teeth ;  evident  weakness ;  staggering, 
the  animal  not  lying  down.  The  pulse  becomes  quicker,  and 
weak  and  fluttering ;  the  membrane  of  the  nose  paler,  but  of 
a  dirty  hue,  the  animal  growing  stupid,  comatose.  At  length 
he  falls,  but  he  gets  up  immediately.  For  awhile  he  is  up 
and  down  almost  every  minute,  until  he  is  no  longer  able  to 
rise;  he  struggles  severely;  he  piteously  groans;  the  pulse 
becomes  more  rapid,  fainter,  and  he  dies  of  suffocation.  The 
disease  sometimes  runs  its  course  with  strange  rapidity.  A 
horse  has  been  destroyed  by  pure  pneumonia  in  twelve  hours. 
The  vessels  ramifying  over  the  cells  have  yielded  to  the  fear- 
ful impulse  of  the  blood,  and  the  lungs  have  presented  one 
mass  of  congestion. 

"The  favorable  symptoms  are,  the  return  of  a  little  warmth 
to  the  extremites,  the  circulation  b^inning  again  to  assume 
its  natural  character;  and,  next  to  this,  the  lying  down  quietly 
and  without  uneasiness,  shoeing  us  that  he  is  beginning  to 
do  without  the  auxiliary  muscles.  These  are  good  symptoms, 
and  they  will  rarely  deceive. 

"  Congestion  is  a  frequent  termination  of  pneumonia.  Not 
only  are  the  vessels  gorged — the  congestion  which  accom- 
panies common  inflammation — but  their  parietes  are  neces- 
sarily so  thin,  in  order  that  the  change  in  the  blood  may 
take  place,  although  they  are  interposed,  that  they  are  easily 
ruptured,  and  the  cells  are  filled  with  blood.  This  eftused 
blood  soon  coagulates,  and  the  lung,  when  cut  into,  presents 
a  black,  softened,  pulpy  kind  of  appearance,  termed,  by  the 
farrier  and  the  groom,  rottenness,  and  being  supposed  by  them 
to  indicate  an  old  disease.  It  proves  only  the  violence  of 
the  disease,  the  rupture  of  many  a  vessel  surcharged  with 
blood;  and  it  also  proves  that  the  disease  is  of  recent  date; 


300  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

for,  iu  no  great  length  of  time,  the  serous  portion  of  the  blood 
becomes  absorbed,  the  more  solid  one  becomes  organized,  the 
cells  are  obliterated,  and  the  lung  is  hepatized,  or  bears  con- 
siderable resemblance  to  liver." 

TREATMENT. 

As  already  stated,  the  treatment  for  pneumonia  and  bron- 
chitis is  essentially  the  same.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  is 
to  bleed,  taking  three  pints  of  blood  from  the  neck  vein. 
J^ext,  wash  the  entire  neck  and  chest  with  a  weak  decoction 
of  tobacco,  as  hot  as  it  can  be  safely  applied,  and  as  soon  as 
this  is  dry,  bathe  the  chest  with  the  corrosive  liniment. 

A  hot  drench — as  hot  as  it  can  be  made  without  scalding — 
is  the  next  step  in  the  treatment.  This  is  to  consist  of  two 
ounces  of  Epsom  salts  in  a  pint  of  salt  and  water.  Follow 
this  with  a  preparation  of  gentian  and  ginger.  Take  one 
ounce  of  each  and  boil  them  in  one  quart  of  water,  until 
their  strength  is  out,  or  until  there  is  only  a  pint  of  water 
left.  Divide  this  into  four  doses,  of  which  give  the  horse  one 
in  the  morning  and  another  at  night.  These  doses  may  be 
kept  up  as  long  as  the  symptoms  warrant  their  use. 

A  clyster  of  warm  soap-suds  will  be  of  benefit,  to  follow 
the  first  dreuch.  As  only  a  light  discharge  from  the  bowels 
is  to  be  sought,  the  use  of  strong  purgatives  must  be  avoided 
with  the  utmost  care.  They  will  be  very  likely  to  induce 
inflammation  of  the  bowels,  in  the  present  condition  of  the 
patient,  and  only  tend  to  hasten  a  fatal  termination. 

Ko  symptom  of  pneumonia  is  more  characteristic  than  cold 
extremities,  sometimes  even  icy  cold;  nor  is  there  any  so 
easily  recognized.  It  will  greatly  improve  the  condition  of 
the  feet  and  limbs  to  bathe  them  with  strong  salt  and  Water, 
as  hot  as  the  horse  can  bear  it,  and  then  to  rub  them  well 
with  a  coarse  cloth  or  brush. 

The  food  must  be  very  light.  Green  feed  will  be  best,  but 
if  this  can  not  be  procured,  bran-mashes,  a  little  meal,  or 
some  chopped  feed  will  do  Yerj  well  instead.  Until  there  is 
a  marked  improvement  in  his  condition,  the  horse  will  not 


DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS.  301 

attempt  to  eat  any  thing ;  nor  is  it  at  all  desirable,  even  if  it 
were  not  useless,  to  coax  him  to  do  so. 

"When  the  patient  is  so  much  better  that  he  can  be  turned 
out,  give  him  the  run  of  a  good  pasture,  if  possible ;  or,  if 
too  feeble  for  this,  keep  him  warm  in  the  stable,  until  he 
gains  strength.  In  any  case,  great  care  must  be  taken  to 
prevent  a  relapse.  The  condition  of  the  lungs  will  hardly  be 
that  of  sound  health  for  a  long  time  afterward,  even  if  the 
animal  can  be  carried  through  without  becoming  broken- 
winded.  l!^ot  unfrequently  an  attack  of  pneumonia  seems  to 
pernaanently  enfeeble  the  constitution  and  shorten  life.  After 
a  good  interval  of  rest,  (^Idom  less  than  two  months,  when 
the  attack  has  been  an  acute  one),  the  horse  may  be  put  to 
light  work,  which  may  be  gradually  increased  in  severity,  as 
he  is  found  capable  of  it. 

CONSUMPTION. 

Consumption  in  the  horse  is  oftener  than  otherwise  the 
successor  of  pneumonia.  It  is  generally  but  the  finishing 
stroke,  the  final  winding  up  of  the  long  train  of  evils  follow- 
ing exposure  and  neglect.  Those  were  the  cause;  this  is  the 
result.  Inflammation  in  the  lungs  has  produced  rupture  of 
the  air-cells,  and  the  mucus  and  blood  has  mingled  together 
in  lumps  or  knots,  and,  under  the  influence  of  the  prevailing 
local  fever,  these  masses  have  become  coagulated  and  consti- 
tute what  are  called  tuhercles.  These  are  of  a  pale  yellow 
color,  varying  greatl}'  in  size,  and  still  more  in  number,  the 
latter  being  dependent  upon  the  number  of  the  air-cells  de- 
stroyed by  the  inflammation.  If  pneumonia  leaves  behind 
it  but  a  few  of  these  tubercles,  and  not  much  irritation  re- 
mains in  the  lungs,  they  may  pass  to  a  state  of  induration — 
that  is,  hardness  and  dryness — without  occasioning  any  harm. 
But  in  these  bodies  there  is  always  a  strong  predisposition  to 
growth,  and  the  formation  of  tubercular  matter,  a  kind  of 
yellowish  white  pus,  of  a  creamy  appearance,  and  coagulable 
by  the  action  of  heat,  acids,  and  alcohol. 

Tubercles  are  frequently  found  in  the  lungs,  and  some- 


302  AMERICAN  FARMEE'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

times  exist  there  for  a  long  time,  without  seriously  injuring 
the  horse.  But  we  have  many  doubts  whether  they  can  long 
remain  there  without  some  growth,  some  increase  in  size, 
though  it  be  very  slowly.  Almost  any  irritating  cause  may 
occasion  their  enlargement.  Exposure,  colds,  extra  labor, 
derangement  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  a  general  feverish 
condition  of  the  system,  and  certain  specific  diseases,  may 
send  such  unhealthy  influences  to  the  lungs  through  the  blood 
as  to  excite  tubercular  growth  and  the  formation  of  matter. 
The  healthy  parts  of  the  lung  are  involved  by  degrees^  and 
gradually  destroyed ;  and  now  consumption  has  fairly  entered 
on  its  fell  career.  The  yellow,  almost  purulent,  mucus  raised 
from  the  lungs  is  the  pus  of  the  tubercles,  which  has  burst 
through  their  cells  into  the  air-passages  of  the  lungs,  when 
it  is  expectorated  by  the  human  patient,  and  in  the  horse  es- 
capes through  the  nostrils. 

The  reader  must  bear  in  mind,  that  in  the  foregoing  de- 
scription, the  tubercles  have  been  supposed  to  originate  in 
the  diseased  condition  of  the  lungs  consequent  upon-  pneu- 
monia, bronchitis,  or  pleurisy;  but  this  does  not  imply 
that  consumption  invariably  follows  those  disorders,  or  even 
that  their  tubercular  formations  necessarily  produce  it.  [N'or 
do  we  wish  to  be  understood  to  say  that  tubercles  may  not 
exist  in  the  lungs  of  the  horse  quite  independent  of  them, 
and  indeed  of  all  other  aifections.  'We  are  satisfied  that  they 
may  so  exist,  and  that  consumption  may  establish  itself  in  the 
lungs  as  a  primary  disease.  Perhaps  the  latent  virus  of 
scrofula  is  the  not  uncommon,  though  seldom  suspected,  in- 
strumentality which  develops  consumption  in  many  of  these 
cases.  *  •  ' 

The  symptoms  of  consumption  do  not  vary  much  from 
those  of  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  except  in  intensity. 
There  is  a  much  slower  but  still  more  morbid  action  going 
on  in  the  lungs ;  the  pulse  is  feeble ;  the  nose,  ears,  legs,  and 
even  the  skin,  constantly  feel  not  only  chilly,  but  of  a  clammy, 
death-like  coldness ;  the  membrane  of  the  nose  is  of  a  pale 
and  ashy  color;  the  breath  is  hot  and  very  oflensive ;  there  is 


DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS.  303 

a  very  severe  and  painful  cough,  and  the  pose  is  continually 
discharging  a  purulent  matter,  often  mixed  with  blood. 

Consumption  kills  more  horses  than  is  generally  supposed. 
It  is  apt  to  be  mistaken  for  some  other  disease,  in  many 
cases,  and  is  even  less  understood  by  the  mass  of  horse  own- 
ers than  its  kindred  diseases,  pneumonia  and  bronchitis. 
All  of.  these  sometimes  run  their  course  so  rapidly  that  irre- 
parable mischief  is  done  before  the  keeper  awakens  to  a 
realization  of  the  true  condition  of  the  suffering  animal. 

TREATMENT. 

The  hope  of  a  cure  in  a  case  of  genuine  consumption  is 
slight  indeed;  and  it  will  not  do  for  the  practitioner  to 
effect  improvement  simply,  although  that  may  be  very  great. 
iNot  only  must  life  be  prolonged,  but  the  patient  must  be 
made  sound  and  well,  and  capable  of  full  service, "or  nothing 
is  accomplished;  and  the  skill  and  judgment  of  the  veter- 
inarian is  gauged,  not  by  the  measure  of  success  that  attends 
his  treatment,  but  by  its  perfect  success.  The  human  patient 
willingly  submits  to  medical  treatment  for  months,  or  even 
years,  and  is  happy  if  life  is  merely  preserved  and  made  tol- 
erably comfortable,  so  that  he  can  get  about  a  little.  To  secure 
this,  he  regards  scarcely  any  sacrifice  as  too  great.  In  respect 
to  the  horse,  however,  this  amounts  to  nothing ;  yet  seldom, 
exceedingly  seldom,  can  any  thing  more  be  done  for  him  if 
pulmonary  consumption  is  fairly  established.  He  may  be 
patched  up  a  little,  so  as  to  regain  sufficient  strength  for 
some  quite  light  service,  but  a  sound,  strong  horse  he  never 
will  be  again.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  it  will  be  worth 
twice  the  after  value  of  the  horse  to  ^*cure"  him,  as  many 
would  use  the  term. 

Mercy  can  be  the  only  inducement  to  undertake  an}  treats 
ment  after  the  disease  has  passed  its  earlier  stages.  Much 
Buffering  may  be  alleviated,  and  this  might  well  be  a  suffi- 
cient motive  for  adopting  that  course.  But  the  pecuniary  view 
is  that  which  would  control  the  action  of  the  great  majority 
of  our  farmers,  and,  perhaps,  necessarily  so  in  many  cases. 


304  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

A  radical  cure  is  an  impossibility,  except  in  the  first  stages 
of  the  malady;  but  the  symptoms  of  that  period  seldom 
receive  any  attention,  and  thus  the  golden  opportunity  is 
forever  lost.  When  the  tubercles  have  commenced  break- 
ing in  the  lungs  it  is  too  late.  To  those  who  are  disposed 
to  try  their  skill  in  treating  a  consumptive  horse,  we  give 
the  following  directions : 

Bleed  moderately,  taking  three  pints  of  blood  at  first,  and 
on  the  sixth  day  afterward  the  same  quantity  again.  For  the 
general  building  up  of  the  system,  and  especially  to  act  upon 
the  skin,  give  sulphur  and  resin.  Accompany  this  with  the 
following  preparation  for  the  throat  and  lungs:  One  pint  of 
new  milk,  one  gill  of  French  brandy,  one  gill  of  honey,  and 
half  an  ounce  of  finely-pulverized  gum  myrrh.  Mix,  and 
divide  into  two  doses — one  to  be  given  in  the  morning,  and 
the  other  at  night.  Continue  the  use  of  this  remedy  until 
the  patient  recovers  or  dies. 

This  treatment  will  produce  a  marked  abatement  of  the 
symptoms,  at  least  in  the  early  stages  of  the  disease.  It  is 
worth  a  trial  at  almost  any  period,  and  it  will  rarely  fail  to 
relieve  the  distressing  cough. 

Perhaps  a  good  pasture  will  prove  better  than  any  med- 
icine, and,  at  any  rate,  will  prove  a  valuable  adjunct  to  the 
course  of  treatment.  But  watchful  care  must  be  taken  to 
prevent  such  exposures  as  might  induce  colds,  etc.  Compre- 
hensively stated,  the  attention  and  general  treatment  extended 
the  patient  must  be  kind  and  generous  throughout. 

We  may  appropriately  conclude  this  subject  by  quoting 
the  cautionary  language  of  Youatt,  which  is  yet  hopeful  in 
that  it  impliedly  recognizes  the  chance  of  a  cure : 

"  When  this  disease  has  been  properly  treated,  and  appar- 
ently subdued,  the  horse  can  not  be  summarily  and  quickly 
dismissed  to  his  work.  He  is  sadly  emaciated;  he  long  con- 
tinues so;  his  coat  stares;  his  skin  clings  to  his  ribs;  his 
belly  is  tucked  up,  notwithstanding  that  he  may  have  plenty 
of  mashes,  and  carrots,  and  green  meat,  and  medicine;  his 
former  gayety  and  spirit  do  not  return,  or,  if  he  is  willing  to 


I 


DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNOS.  305 

work,  he  is  easily  tired,  sweating  on  the  least  exertion,  and 
the  sweat  most  profuse  about  the  chest  and  sides ;  his  appe- 
tite is  not  restored,  or,  perhaps,  never  has  been  good,  and 
the  slightest  exertion  puts  him  completely  off  his  feed." 

PLEURISY. 

This  is  a  disease  of  the  pleura,  the  membrane  which  in- 
vests the  lungs  and  lines  the  entire  cavity  of  the  chest.  It 
may  be  the  follower  of  bronchitis,  and  the  adjunct  of  pneu- 
monia, and  is  generally  the  offspring  of  exposure  and  bad 
treatment.  It  may  affect  both  sides  or  only  one  of  them. 
Fortunately,  the  farmer's  practice  does  not  often  include  the 
treatment  of.  this  disease  in  our  country,  and  probably  not 
more  than  one  in  five  hundred  of  our  readers  will  ever  be 
called  upon  to  undertake  a  case  of  this  kind. 

By  the  masses  of  farmers  and  horse-owners  generally, 
pleurisy  will  be  very  likely  to  be  mistaken  for  pneumonia, 
or,  perhaps,  even  for  bronchitis.  It  has  a  number  of  quite 
distinctive  symptoms,  however,  most  of  which  may  be  recog- 
nized without  much  difficulty  by  any  ordinarily  careful  ob- 
server. One  of  the  most  characteristic  of  these  is  the  peculiar 
respiration,  the  inspiration  being  short  and  very  painful,  from 
the  extremely  irritable  condition  of  the  pleura,  consequent 
upon  inflammation,  while  the  expiration  is  affected  by  allow- 
ing the  chest  to  fall  slowly,  and  affords  an  interval  of  very 
great  relief.  The  feeling  is  that  which  the  human  patient 
calls  the  stitch.  Still,  the  breathing  is  somewhat  quickened, 
raising  to  forty  or  fifty  respirations  per  minute.  The  pulse  is 
considerably  accelerated,  but,  though  small  toward  the  last, 
is  strong  and  wiry  throughout ;  whereas,  in  pneumonia,  it  is 
oppressed  and  sometimes  hardly  appreciable.  The  nostrils 
and  eyes  are  of  a  natural  color,  or  nearly  so,  and  the  former 
are  not  dilated.  The  legs,  instead  of  being  extended,  as  in 
pneumonia  and  bronchitis,  are  rather  drawn  together.  The 
head  is  protruded  rather  than  drooped ;  the  expression  anx- 
ious, but  brightening  at  times,  at  least  in  the  earlier  stages ; 
and  when  the  sufferer  turns  to  look  at  his  flanks,  his  move- 
20 


306  ^  AMEEICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

ments  are  more  sudden  and  spasmodic  than  in  pneumonia. 
As  in  that  disease,  he  can  not  be  induced  to  lie  down.  There 
is  a  short,  hurried  cough,  not  easily  distinguishable  by  most 
observers,  however,  from  that  which  marks  bronchial  or  pul- 
monary disease.  The  temperature  is  apt  to  be  variable. 
Sometimes  it  is  even  warmer  than  natural,  and,  though  gen- 
erally the  reverse,  the  extremities  are  never  so  deathly  cold 
as  in  pneumonia.  The  mouth,  upon  the  other  hand,  is  not 
80  hot,  and  the  breath,  in  this  respect,  is  almost  natural. 

TREATMENT. 

This  is  substantially  the  same  as  that  prescribed  for  bron- 
chitis, with  the  addition  of  copious  applications  of  corrosive 
liniment  to  the  sides,  low  down,  both  in  front  and  back  of 
the  shoulders,  and  between  the  fore-legs. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  307 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS. 

The  digestive  organs  of  the  horse,  particularly  the  stomach 
and  bowels,  are  more  subject  to  disease  than  any  others; 
while,  from  their  location  and  their  peculiar  service  in 
the  animal  economy,  it  is  more  difficult  to  understand  the 
minutiae  of  their  structure  and  functions  than  those  of  any 
other  portions  of  his  system,  except  the  lungs.  Besides 
the  embarrassment  to  which  the  latter  circumstance  gives 
riise  in  treating  intestinal  diseases,  there  is  this  additional 
one:  that  the  symptoms  exhibited  are  so  varied  that  the 
practitioner  is  often  in  great  danger  of  being  entirely  misled 
as  to  the  real  nature  and  causes  of  the  disorder. 

The  stomach  is  the  receptacle  of  not  merely  what  the 
horse  eats  as  food,  but  likewise  of  every  nostrum  which 
ignorance  and  quackery  can  force  into  it,  and  which  too 
often  itself  proves  the  fruitful  source  of  disease.  To  its 
inner  coating  a  merciful  Creator  has  given  a  degree  of 
msensibility,  which,  though  its  only  safeguard,  is  a  power- 
ful one ;  yet  even  this  is  not  always  sufficient  to  protect  it 
from  the  dire  effects  of  the  poisons  poured  into  it.  Con- 
sidered in  relation  to  the  bulk  of  his  entire  body,  and  es- 
pecially to  the  enormous  capacity  of  the  abdominal  cavity, 
the  stomach  of  the  horse  is  very  small,  being  only  three  or 
four  times  as  large  as  in  man,  whose  body  is  scarcely  one- 
tenth  the  size  of  that  of  his  faithful  servitor.  It  contains 
but  two  or  three  gallons,  while  the  intestines,  when  fully 
expanded,  have  a. capacity  of  from  twenty  to  twenty-four. 

So  far  as  is  known,  it  is  provided  with  no  gastric 
agencies,  and  conducts  the  process  of  digestion  no  further 


308 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


than  simply  softening  down  the  food.  The  remaining* 
operations  are  carried  on  in  the  intestines,  which,  by  their 
great  length,  presenting  an  immense  extent  of  surface 
'filled  with   absorbents,  are  especially  adapted  to  the   per- 


THE  STOMACH. 

a        The  oesophagus,  or  gullet,  extending  to  the  stomach. 

b  The  entrance  of  the  gullet  into  the  stomach.  The  circular  layers  of  the 
muscles  are  very  thick  and  strong,  and  which,  by  their  contractions 
help  to  render  it  difficult  for  the  food  to  be  returned  or  vomited. 

c        The  portion  of  the  stomach  which  is  covered  by  cuticle,  or  insensible  skin. 

d  d    The  margin,  which  separates  the  cuticular  from  the  villious  portion. 

e  e  The  mucous,  or  villous  (velvet)  portion  of  the  stomach,  in  which  the  food 
is  principally  digested. 

/       The  communication  between  the  stomach  and  the  first  intestine. 

g  The  common  orifice  through  which  the  bile  and  the  secretion  from  the  pan- 
creas pass  into  the  first  intestine.  The  two  pins  mark  the  two  tubes 
here  united. 

h  A  smaller  orifice,  through  which  a  portion  of  the  secretion  of  the  pan- 
creas enters  the  intestines. 

formance  of  this  duty.  A  remarkable  peculiarity  in  the 
anatomy  of  this  organ  in  the  horse,  is  strikingly  indicative 
-of  its  limited  part  in  the  functions  of  digestion.  As  is  well- 
known,  it  is  the  mucous  membrane  which  is  furnished  with 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  309 

the  minute  absorbents  whose  office  it  is  to  take  up  the 
digested  particles  of  food,  in  the  form  of  chyle,  and  trans- 
fer them  to  the  general  circulation.  While  this  coating 
lines  the  entire  inner  surface  of  the  intestines,  not  more 
than  one-third  of  that  of  the  stomach  is  similarly  provided, 
there  being  in  the  latter  only  a  small  patch  of  it,  no  larger 
than  the  two  hands  would  cover,  in  the  upper  part,  near 
the  esophagus. 

Though  apparently  free  from  bilious  disorders,  the  horse 
is  frequently  a  sufferer  from  various  derangements  of  the 
digestive  functions,  some  of  which  are  liable  to  assume 
the  gravest  character  quite  suddenly.  The  simplest  and 
least  hurtful  of  these  is 

SOUR  STOMACH. 

The  purely  vegetable  food  of  the  horse,  in  the  mouth  re^ 
ceives  an  imperfect  mastication,  with  a  merely  partial  moists 
ening  from  the  saliva;  and  in  this  condition  it  passes 
through  the  esophagus,  or  "swallow,"  to  the  stomach, 
where  it  is  shut  in  above  by  the  closing  of  the  esophagus, 
and  below  by  that  of  the  pylorus — literally  the  door-keepers — 
which  is  the  outlet  to  the  alimentary  canal.  Here  the  crude 
material,  greatly  thinned  by  the  quantity  of  water  drank, 
is  softened  down  into  a  pulpy  mass  called  chyme,  to  allow 
whose  passage  into  the  small  intestines,  the  pylorus,  at  the 
proper  time,  relaxes,  and  soon  the. stomach  will  be  clamor- 
ing for  more  food. 

"When,  the  animal  is  in  sound  health,  this  process  goes 
on  with  perfect  regularity  and  comfort;  but,  unfortunately, 
such  is  not  always  his  condition.  Irritation  and  undue 
heat  often  occur  in  the  stomach,  producing  fermentation  or 
sourness  of  its  contents.  He  is  likely,  indeed,  to  bring 
about  these  uncomfortable  results  at  any  time,  by  eating 
either  improper  or  too  much  food.  It  is  in  some  disturb- 
ance or  other  of  digestion  that  the  prime  cause  may  be 
found  of  the  diseases,  not  only  of  the  stomach  itself,  but 
likewise  of  those  of  the  bowels;  and,  hence,  also,  the  for- 


310  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.  '   • 

mation  of  those  gases  betrayed  by  low  rumblings,  and 
other  indications,  which  nearly  ahv^ays  occasion  restiveness 
and  suffering,  and  often  end  in  an  attack  of  flatulent  colic. 
During  this  fermentation,  carbonic  acid  gas  is  given  off, 
and  sometimes  with  such  rapidity  that  stricture  of  the 
pylorus  takes  place.  The  stomach  soon  becomes  most  pain- 
fully distended,  from  the  constant  accumulation  of  the  gas, 
which  the  extreme  heat  of  the  organs,  meanwhile,  continues 
to  greatly  rarify.  The  owner  soon  finds  that  he  has  upon 
his  hands  a  case  of 

COLIC   IN   THE   STOMACH. 

The  symptoms  become  more  and  notore  aggravated,  and, 
unless  relief  can  be  given,  there  is  imminent  danger  of  rup- 
ture of  the  stomach,  which  must  kill  the  horse,  of  course. 
Few  persons  suspect  how  frequently  this  sad  event  hap- 
pens. 

A  case  which,  several  years  ago,  came  within  the  author's 
own  observation,  at  the  village  of  Petersburg,  Lincoln 
County,  Tennessee,  is  so  exactly  in  point  that  it  merits 
a  narration  in  detail.  A  horse,  about  ten  years  old,  and 
in  good  condition  of  flesh,  had  been  sick  for  several  days, 
refusing  all  food,  and  manifesting  the  usual  symptoms  of 
intestinal  disease.  With  the  towns-people,  including  the 
owner,  this  was  a  plain  case  of  hots ;  and  when  the  writer 
first  saw  him,  a  large  man,  weighing  at  least  two  hundred 
pounds,  was  riding  him  about  the  streets,  to  cure  him 
by  means  of  a  charm  which  the  fellow  pretended  to  pos- 
sess. An  opinion  being  asked,  it  was  promptly  given,  to 
the  effect  that  the  stomach-pump  afforded  the  only  hope, 
though  the  sufferer  was  probably  too  far  gone  for  even  this 
to  save  him;  and  that,  as  no  such  instrument  for  the  horse 
could  be  found  in  the  State,  he  must  certainly  die.  About 
two  hours  afterward,  he  suddenly  fell  dead. 

A  bystander  at  once  suggested  that,  if  the  horse  were  cut 
open,  his  stomach  would  be  found  "  perfectly  riddled  by  the 
bot."     The  idea  was  caught  up  by  the  entire  crowd,  of 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  311 

not  less  than  fifty  persons,  and,  to  gratify  the  general  de- 
sire, the  author  consented  to  make  an  examination.  The 
carcass  was  removed  to  a  suitable  place;  and  when,  in  a 
few  minutes,  the  viscera  was  fairly  laid  open,  the  cause  of 
death  was  visible  to  all.  The  stomach  was  literally  torn 
into  shreds,  and  its  contents  were  scattered\  throughout  the 
entire  abdominal  cavity.  So  great  had  been  the  concus- 
sion, that  the  diaphragm  was  ruptured,  and  fragmentary 
debris  from  the  stomach,  was  found  in  the  region  of  the 
heart  and  lungs.  ITo  special  indications  of  inflammation 
were  discoverable  in  its  coatings,  although  the  organ  was 
nearly  destroyed  by  disease.  The  mucous  membrane  was 
entirely  gone,  and  the  cuticle  was  so  much  decomposed  that 
in  appearance  it  resembled  gauze,  or  fine  net-work,  falling 
out  as  if  it  were  an  extraneous  substance  when  the  stomach 
was  detached  from  its  connection.  The  muscular  coating 
was  also  much  decomposed,  and  had  become  a  soft  mass, 
so  that  it  could  be  torn  almost  like  a  piece  of  wet  paper. 
A  spectator  described  its  condition  by  the  blunt  remark, 
*'  The  thing  is  all  rotten."  The  pylorus  was  still  closed, 
its  fearful  stricture,  whence  had  proceeded  all  the  mischief, 
remaining  as  before  death. 

In  the  small  intestines  traces  of  inflammation  were  abun- 
dant. Ten  feet  or  more  of  these,  immediately  next  .the  stomach, 
presented  a  blood-red  appearance,  and  similar  patches  were 
found  along  the  entire  line  of  the  bowels.  From  the  stomach 
to  the  anus  there  was  not  a  particle  of  alimentary  substance. 
This  empty  condition  invariably  characterizes  cases  of  this 
kind,  all  the  contents  of  the  bowels  below  the  stricture  being 
speedily  voided. 

Inflammation  had  undoubtedly  existed  throughout  the 
digestive  organs  in  a  high  degree,  but  fuel  had  been  added 
to  the  flames  by  drenching  the  poor  animal  with  almost 
incredible  quantities  of  so-called  medicines.  The  stomach 
must  have  contained  at  least  two  gallons  of  these  nostrums: 
sweet  oil,  castor  oil,  turpentine,  epsom  salts,  sweet  milk, 
molasses,  sage  tea,  and  several  others.     In  all  probability 


812 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


the  horse  fell  a  victim  to  excessive  drenching  rather  than 
disease,  and  would  have  had  a  much  better  chance  for  re- 
covery if  nothing  at  all  had  been  given  him. 

The  diseases  of  the  stomach,  described  in  the  foregoing 
pages,  may  be  recapitulated  in  their  proper  order  as  follows : 

Sour  stomach,  produced  by  fermentation  of  the  food. 

Exhalation  of  gases,  causing  painful  distension. 

Inflammation,  followed  by  decomposition. 

Spasmodic  colic,  with  paroxysms  of  agony. 

Rupture  of  the  stomach,  and  death. 
«■ 

THE  BOT. 

This  is  the  proper  place  to  consider  this  so-called  disease, 
whose  supposed  frequency  and  fatality  render  it  a  subject  of 
deep  interest  to  every  proprietor  of  the  horse.  It  has  given  rise 
to  numberless  theories  regarding  both  its  cause  and  cure,  all 


CUT  OP  THE  BOT  AND  THE  GAD-FLY. 

a  and  6  The  eggs  of  the  gad-fly,  adhering  to  the  hair  of  the  horse. 

c  The  appearance  of  the  bots  adhering  to  the  walls  of  the  stomach. 

d  The  bet  detached. 
e  and  /  Gad-flies. 

strenuously  urgBd  by  earnest  advocates,  of  whom,  neverthe- 
less, there  are  exceedingly  few  but  are  willing  to  confess 
they  know  next  to  nothing  of  the  habits  and  office  of  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  313 

bot,  or  of  the  effects  created  by  the  little  creature's  presence 
upon  the  horse's  general  system.  ITearly  all  agree  in  this, 
however:  that,  in  some  way,  the  bot  does  kill  the  horse 
The  common  opinion  is  that  he  effects  this  by  seizing  hold 
of  the  stomach,  from  some  rabid  propensity  which  possesses 
him  at  certain  undetermined  periods,  and  eating  or  cutting 
his  way  entirely  through  its  walls;  and  as  to  a  remedy,  that 
all  depends  upon  the  speedy  administration  of  something 
which  will  compel  him  to  relinquish  his  hold  before  his 
ravenous  work  has  produced  irreparable  injury. 

These  views  are  grossly  erroneous.  From  personal  in- 
vestigations, the  author  is  satisfied  that  the  public  mind  has 
been  entirely  misled  upon  the  whole  subject.  "What  is  sup- 
posed to  be  the  ravages  of  the  bot,  is,  in  reality,  the  work 
of  some  inflammatory  disease.  To  begin  with,  the  natural 
history  of  the  bot  has  never  been  properly  understood.  The 
bot  is  hereditary  with  the  horse,  and  is  born  into  the  world 
with  him,  the  colt,  at  the  moment  of  foaling,  having  the  little 
parasite  in  his  stomach  in  as  perfect  a  state  as  the  horse  of 
six  years.  He  is  found  attached  to  the  cuticular  or  insensi- 
ble coating  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  stomach — not  by  his 
head,  as  is  popularly  supposed,  but  hanging  by  his  tail.  For 
a  mouth  he  has  a  little  orifice,  no  larger  than  the  point  of  a 
cambric  needle,  with  which  he  feeds  upon  the  food  in  the 
stomach,  after  it  has  been  softened  down  into  chyme.  This 
tiny  mouth  he  can  close  against  any  substance  which  offends 
his  dainty  taste ;  and,  being  protected  by  a  scaly  or  bony  cov- 
ering, upon  which  no  acid,  caustic,  or  poison  will  operate,  he 
is  much  safer  from  the  action  of  any  hurtful  element  than 
the  horse  into  whose  stomach  he  is  introduced.  There  is 
no  evidence  that  in  his  normal  condition  he  ever  injures 
the  horse's  health  in  the  least  degree. 

The  bot  is  an  entirely  different  insect  from  the  grub,  or 
worm,  with  which  he  has  no  relationship  whatever.  The 
latter  is  the  offspring  of  the  gad-fly,  and  is,  undoubtedly,  an 
intruder.  It  is  a  species  of  light  yellow  worm,  which  passes 
away  from  the  horse  in  the  excrements  during  the  months 


314  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

of  July  and  August,  and  becomes  imbedded  in  the  earth, 
where  the  chrysalis  is  formed,  whence,  in  time,  is  hatched  the 
fly.  The  eggs  of  the  fly  are  deposited  upon  the  horse's  skin, 
are  bitten  off,  and  find  their  way  into  the  horse's  stomach. 
Here  the  worm  is  developed  in  turn,  and  thus  the  species 
continues  to  be  propagated.  Unlike  the  hot,  the  grub  never 
attaches  itself  to  the  coating  of  the  stomach,  but  lives  among 
the  particles  of  food,  the  tough,  fibrous  portions  of  which  it 
decomposes,  and,  in  both  the  stomach  and  bowels,  undoubt- 
edly performs  the  same  ofiice  for  the  horse  that  worms 
do  in  the  child.  When  multiplied  in  great  numbers,  the 
grub  may  occasion  much  uneasiness  and  irritation,  but  never 
causes  death,  or  even  serious  disease. 

Although  the  stomach  is  often  found  "  completely  riddled 
by  the  hot,"  as  the  popular  expression  is,  there  is  good  reason 
to  believe  that  the  work  is  done  entirely  after  the  horse  is 
"  struck  by  death."  One  or  two  facts  will  go  far  to  prove 
the  truth  of  a  proposition  which  to  many  will  appear  so  ex- 
traordinary. 

The  cuticular  coating  of  the  stomach,  to  which  the  hot 
fastens  himself  by  means  of  two  little  bearded  hooks,  is 
nearly,  if  not  wholly,  insensible,  having  no  more  feeling, 
apparently,  than  the  animal's  hoofs.  When  the  horse  is  in 
health,  it  is  hard,  rigid,  impenetrable,  and  the  hot,  if  ever  so 
much  disposed  to  do  so,  would  attack  it  in  vain ;  but  when 
death  seizes  him,  this  coating  becomes  relaxed  and  soft,  and 
begins  rapidly  to  decompose.  Then  only  it  is  that  the  hot 
can,  or  ever  does,  work  his  way  through  it.  Another  fact, 
still  more  strongly  corroborative  of  the  above  proposition,  is 
this :  that  of  any  number  of  horses  killed  while  in  perfect 
health,  and  opened  an  hour  or  two  afterward,  there  will  be 
found  not  of^e  whose  stomach  is  not  "riddled  by  the  hot." 
Dissection  has  revealed  the  existence  of  this  condition  in 
hundreds  of  instances  of  sudden  death  from  accident. 

Dr.  John  Franklin,  of  Sumner  County,  Tenn.,  relates  the 
case  of  a  horse  instantly  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  large 
timber,  whose  carcass  he  opened  within  a  few  hours  after 


.DISHA^SES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  315 

death,  with  the  especial  object  of  testing  the  theory  that  the 
hot  forces  a  passage  through  the  walls  of  the  stomach,  in  all 
cases,  when  the  disease  is  not  of  such  a  nature  as  to  stupefy 
him.  As  he  expected,  the  insects,  in  considerable  numbers, 
had  already  cut  their  way  out. 

The  hot  does  not  attack  the  stomach  for  the  purpose  of 
preying  upon  it,  or  of  injuring  the  animal,  but  simply  to 
seek  escape  from  certain  death  himself.  The  same  disease 
that  is  killing  the  horse  threatens  his  destruction  also.  An 
instinct,  similar  to  that  which  prompts  vermin  of  nearly  all 
kinds  to  leave  a  dead  or  dying  carcass,  teaches  him  that  his 
old  habitation  is  no  longer  a  safe  one,  and  hence  his  des- 
perate endeavors  to  get  away.  He  has  been  found  working 
up  to  the  esophagus,  passing  through  the  small  intestines, 
and  even  cutting  through  between  the  ribs  almost  to  the 
skin  itself.  If  possible,  he  would  escape  from  the  horse 
entirely. 

INFLAMMATION   OF   THE   BOWELS — ENTERITIS. 

In  all  the  fatal  cases  of  bots,  so-called,  there  exist  other 
causes  amply  sufficient  to  produce  death,  the  large  majority 
being  examples  of  putrid  inflammation  of  the  bowels — or 
enteritis,  as  it  is  scientifically  designated — very  frequently, 
complicated  with  stricture.  That  this  disease  may  be  fully 
understood,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  a  short  description 
of  the  anatom}^  of  the  parts  involved,  which  are  very  simi- 
lar in  their  structure  to  the  corresponding  organs  in  man. 
Proceeding  from  the  stomach,  the  outlet  of  which  is  called 
the  pylorus,  or  pyloric  orifice,  commences  the  line  of  small 
intestines,  in  the  horse  from  fifty-four  to  sixty  feet  in 
length,  and  comprising  three  divisions,  the  duodenum,  the 
jejunum,  and  the  illeum.  The  duodenum  is  that  portion 
extending  from  the  pylorus  to  the  hepatic  or  biliary  duct, 
which  in  the  horse  empties  into  the  intestines  about  twenty- 
two  inches  from  the  stomach,  or  ten  inches  further  than  in 
man.  The  jejunum  occupies  about  two-fifths  of  the  length 
which  remains,  and,  as  its  name  implies — jejune,  or  empty — is 


816 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


generally  found,  after  death,  filled  with  nothing  but  air.  The 
illeum  is  the  fleshy  part  of  the  bowels.  Then  come,  in  suc- 
cession, the  caecum,  or  blind  gut,  which  is  the  first  of  the 


CUT  OF  THE  INTESTINES. 

a  The  commencement  of  the  small  intestines.  The  biliary  and  pancreatic  ducts 

may  be  seen  a  little  below. 
6  b  The  convolutions  or  windings  of  the  small  intestines. 

c  A  portion  of  the  mesentery,  a  fold  of  serous  membrane,  which  hangs  over  the 

greater  part  of  the  intestines,  and  is  thickly  inlaid  with  fat,  designed  to 

protect  the  included  organs  from  cold  and  violence,  and  to  facilitate  their 
'  movements. 

d  The  small  intestines,  terminating  in  the  caecum 

e  The  caecum,  or  blind  gut,  with  the  bands  running  along  it,  pijckering  and 

dividing  it  into  numerous  cells. 
/  The  beginning  of  the  colon. 
ff  g  The  continuation  and  expansion  of  the  colon,  divided,  like  the  caecum,  into 

cells, 
h  The  termination  of  the  colon  in  the  rectum. 
i  The  termination  of  the  rectum  at  the  anus. 

large  intestines;  the  colon,  the  largest  convolution  of  all;  an.d 
the  rectum,  terminating  in  the  outlet  of  the  anus.  The 
intestines  are  composed  of  three  distinct  coatings,  or  lay- 
ers, namely:  the  outer,  or  peritoneal,  which  forms  the 
smooth,  glassy  investment  of  the  contents  of  the  abdom- 
inal cavity  in  general;  the  middle,  or  muscular  one,  con- 
sisting of  two  sets  of  fibers  running  transversely  with  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  317 

direct  line  of  the  intestines,  and  crossing  each  other  at  right 
angles ;  and  the  inner  coating,  the  villous  or  mucous  mem- 
brane, which  is  spread,  not  only  over  the  surface  of  the 
bowels  throughout,  but,  as  we  have  seen,  over  a  portion  of 
that  of  the  stomach  also. 

In  enteritis,  it  is  usually  the  jejunum,  or  airy  subdivision 
of  the  small  intestines,  which  is  the  seat  of  disease.  Stric- 
ture, or  stoppage,  follows  inflammation,  and,  in  turn,  pro- 
duces spasms  of  the  bowels;  and  hence  the  disorder  speci- 
fically known  as  spasmodic  colic.  Under  the  s^^mpathetic 
influences  of  the  feverish  state  of  the  bowels,  the  food  sours 
in  the  stomach,  and  the  carbonic  acid  gas  which  is  evolved 
escapes  into  the  intestines,  here  becoming  greatly  expanded 
and  rarified  by  the  abnormal  heat  of  the  parts.  Painful 
distension  is  speedily  the  result.  As  the  gas  irritates  the 
sensitive  membrane,  and  increases  the  fever,  so  the  fever,  in 
turn,  continues  more  and  more  to  expand  the  gas  and  air. 
And  now  arises  the  peril  of  a  grave  and  peculiar  complica- 
tion. Whenever  this  distension  occurs  in  any  portion  of  the 
bowels,  there  is  nearly  always  an  equal  contraction  in  the 
parts  just  beyond.  As  a  net  when  pulled  out  in  one  part 
draws  in  at  another,  in  like  manner  this  distension  and  con- 
traction reciprocally  affect  each  other,  until,  at  length,  the 
bowels  become  firmly  locked  up,  affording  no  passage  what- 
ever.    This  constitutes  a  stricture. 

The  horse  experiences  great  and  increasing  distress,  and 
soon  spasms  set  in.  These  appear  to  subside,  at  length,  but 
presently  they  come  on  again,  with  redoubled  violence.  The 
poor  suflerer  sweats  profusely,  especially  about  the  shoulders 
and  sides,  ^.nd  scarcely  less  about  the  neck  and  head.  He 
shakes  and  trembles  constantly,  twitching  the  muscles  of  his 
body  convulsively;  he  paws  with  his  fore-feet,  and  putting 
them  out,  tries  to  stretch  himself;  he  throws  his  head  around 
to  the  side,  as  if  to  indicate  where  the  pain  is.  Suddenly  he 
lies  down,  and,  endeavoring  to  roll  over  on  his  back,  in  thatr 
position  strikes  the  fore-feet  violently  against  the  chest,  and 
then  as  suddenly  springs  to  his  feet  again.     Throwing  back 


318  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

his  ears,  as  if  angry,  he  swiftly  starts  off,  turns  around  two 
or  three  times,  and  drops  to  the  ground.  All  his  motions 
are  rapid,  and  he  continues  switching  and  jerking  his  tail 
almost  incessantly.  Ko  signs  of  swelling  are  discoverable; 
but  the  lips  and  ears  are  very  cold,  and  the  pulse  ranges  from 
65  to  80  per  minute,  whereas  it  should  not  be  more  than 
from  30  to  36. 

All  these  manifestations  of  acute  suffering  are  caused  by 
the  severe  inflammation  and  attendant  contraction  of  the 
bowels,  which  are  in  imminent  danger  of  becoming  ruptured. 
This  catastrophe  nearly  always  forms  .the  fatal  climax  in 
those  cases  where  the  horse  suddenly  drops  dead. 

Sometimes,  when  the  stricture  occurs  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  stomach,  the  intestines  become  perforated 
with  small  holes,  over  which,  however,  the  mucus  of  the 
bowels  may  slough  so  as  to  fill  them  up,  when,  for  a  time, 
the  patient  appears  to  be  growing  better.  But  nothing  can 
save  him.  He  wastes  away  with  fever,  continuing  for  days, 
or,  it  may  be,  for  even  weeks,  and  inevitably  dies  at  last. 

The  small  intestines  are  much  the  most  sensitive  part  of 
the  alimentary  canal,  and,  when  affected  by  disease,  they  are 
the  seat  of  pain  proportionately  acute.  They  are,  also,  the 
ones  most  subject  to  attacks  of  enteritis,  and  of  irritation 
ending  in  stricture ;  and  as  they  are  situated  so  far  forward 
in  the  abdominal  cavity  as  to  be  principally  incased  by  the 
ribs,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  discover  any  swelling,  even 
in  the  advanced  stages  of  disease. 

Yet  irritation  and  stricture  often  happen  in  the  large 
bowels  also.  These  swell,  and  become  greatly  distended ;  the 
sides  are  pressed  out,  and  the  disease  at  once  betrays  its 
character  as  colic. 

There  is  no  difference  between  this  case  and  the  one  we 
have  described  more  at  length,  except  that  the  location  is  not 
the  same.  One  is  no  more  the  colic  than  the  other.  In  nearly 
all  instances  the  attack  is  brought  on,  no  matter  which  form 
it  assumes,  by  immoderate  eating  or  drinking,  or,  what  Is  still 
worse,  by  both  together.    If  in  perfect  health,  the  horse  may 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  319 

gorge  himself,  perhaps  scores  of  times,  with  impunity ;  but  if 
there  is  any  considerable  derangement  of  the  digestive  func- 
tions, Mature,  whose  laws  are  every-where  coincident,  exacts 
the  penalty  of  suflering,  if  not  of  death. 

TREATMENT. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  condemn  too  strongly  the  stupid 
practice,  usually  resorted  to,  of  making  the  horse^s  stomach  a 
receptacle  for  every  vile  nostrum  which  ignorance  and  pre- 
sumption can  devise.  A  great  many  more  horses  are  killed 
by  excessive  drenching  than  would  die  if  nothing  at  all  were 
given  them.  One  person  recommends  one  thing,  and  another 
advises  something  else,  until,  presently,  a  dozen  or  more  dif- 
ferent remedies  have  been  prescribed,  each  of  which,  though 
claimed  as  a  certain  specific,  usually  has  no  efi*ect  save  to 
hasten  a  fatal  termination.  The  anxious  and  over-excited 
owner,  that  no  effort  may  be  left  untried  to  save  his  faithful 
animal,  gives  all  that  he  is  bidden  to ;  and  when  the  end 
comes,  to  which  he  himself  has  so  largely  but  unwittingly 
contributed,  he  shakes  his  head  in  hopeless  wondermeAt  at 
the  power  of  disease,  or  the  strange  ferocity  of  the  hot. 

Yet  there  should  be  treatment  of  some  kind,  and  that  as 
speedily  as  possible;  for,  though  it  is  true  that  the  horse 
might  recover  without  a  finger  being  moved  to  assist  him,  no 
one  can  know  this  positirely.  On  the  other  hand,  all  must 
recognize  the  fact  that  many  disorders,  in  the  systems  of  both 
man  and  beast,  which  at  first  are  susceptible  of  easy  control, 
may  at  last  baffle  the  utmost  skill  of  the  practitioner,  if  neg- 
lected too  long. 

The  same  methods  will  be  equally  effective,  whether  the 
trouble  has  arisen  in  the  large  or  the  small  intestines.  The 
great  object  to  be  obtained  is  a  passage  of  the  bowels,  which 
must  be  brought  about  with  all  possible  speed.  When  this  is 
done,  the  horse's  recovery  may  be  guaranteed.  As  to  the 
hot,  the  inoffensive  little  creature  is  never  likely  to  do  half  as 
much  damage  as  ignorant  and  foolish  bystanders  are.  The 
system  must  be  relaxed  at  once,  that  contraction  and  stric- 


•820  AMEKICAN  FAKMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

ture  may  be  relieved.  Bleeding,  then,  must  be  the  first  re- 
sort, affording  the  only  hope  in  obstinate  cases.  It  is  the 
sheet-anchor  of  the  practitioner's  treatment.  -  The  bleeding 
should  be  from  the  neck  vein,  and  never  from  the  mouth. 
Blood  is  neither  food  nor  medicine  to  the  horse,  but  is  posi- 
tively hurtful  when  taken  into  the  stomach,  in  nearly  all  cases. 
Moreover,  it  is  impossible  from  the  mouth  to  take  enough 
blood,  or  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  produce  the  desired  effect. 
It  should  flow  rapidly,  so  that  the  required  quantity  may  be 
discharged  in  the  shortest  time  possible. 

The  bleeding  should  be  continued  until  there  is  a  percep- 
tible faltering  of  the  pulse.  As  comparatively  few  persons 
know  where  to  look  for  the  pulse,  it  will  be  proper  here  to 
describe  it  again,  and,  if  possible,  so  plainly  that  its  location 
can  not  be  mistaken.  It  can  readily  be  found  by  pressing 
the  fingers  upon  the  sub-maxillary  artery,  which  passes 
directly  over  the  extreme  lower  part  of  the  under  jaw-bone, 
where  it  feels  like  a  small  cord  running  across  the  edge  of 
the  bone,  under  the  skin.  By  resting  the  fingers  upon  this 
artery,  the  pulsation  can  be  felt  and  counted  in  precisely  the 
same  mianner  as  in  one's  wrist.  If  the  owner  has  any  timid- 
ity, let  him  remember  that  bleeding  does  not  at  all  endan- 
ger the  life  of  the  animal.  It  is  not  the  horse  which  the 
lancet  attacks,  but  the  disease. 

All  that  is  needed  in  the  form  o^  medicine  is  some  simple 
remedy  to  correct  the  acid  condition  of  the  stomach,  which 
organ,  even  when  not  itself  the  seat  of  disease,  is  quickly 
affected  sympathetically ;  and,  when  there  is  fermentation  of 
the  food  in  consequence  of  obstructions,  its  own  condition  is 
the  occasion  of  great  distress.  For  this  purpose,  chloroform 
is  the  best  prescription,  and  is  especially  valuable  from  the 
fact  that  a  small  dose  suffices  to  secure  very  speedily  the  de- 
sired effects.  It  is  a  powerful  anodyne,  allaying  this  condi- 
tion of  the^  stomach  at  once  ;  gives  instant  relief  from  pain, 
and  causes  a  speedy  relaxation  of  the  whole  system.  The 
dose  should  be  a  table-spoonful,  in  a  gill  of  whisky  mixed 
with  half  a  pint  of  warm  water — a  remedy  so  perfectly  harm- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  321 

less  that  there  need  not  be  the  least  fear  in  administering 
it;  for,  although  chloroform  is  heating  in  its  tendencies,  its 
properties,  when  the  stomach  is  in  the  condition  we  have 
described,  undergo  an  entire  change  before  it  reaches  the  seat 
of  inflammation  in  the  bowels. 

The  object  of  this  simple  medication,  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind,  is  not  to  afiect  the  hot;  because  not  only  does  no 
medicine  reach  that  portion  of  the  stomach  where  the  hot 
is  located,  but  it  would  not  disturb  him  if  it  did.  Of  the 
thousand  baneful  compounds  given  to  kill  the  hot,  or  to 
"  make  him  let  go  his  hold,"  as  the  common  phrase  is,  not 
one  ever  accomplished  its  object,  unless  at  the  expense  of 
the  horse's  life  also.  They  are  much  less  offensive  to  the 
hot  than  scores  of  substances  of  which  the  horse  often  par- 
takes freely.  If  the  hot  is  invulnerable  to  the  effects  of 
oak  and  hickory  leaves,  pennyroyal,  dog-fennel,-  " jimson  " 
leaves  and  berries,  and  many  other  plants  equally  noxious, 
the  sage  tea,  the  milk,  the  molasses,  and  the  like,  may  as 
well  be  thrown  out  to  the  pigs.  These  can  do  no  good 
whatever,  except  as  they  may  possibly  tend,  in  a  limited 
degree,  to  correct  the  acidity  of  the  stomach. 

In  case  the  chloroform  can  not  readily  be  procured, 
some  strong  soap-suds,  weak  lye,  or  a  table-spoonful  of 
soda,  dissolved  in  a  pint  of  milk,  will  serve  as  a  substitute; 
and  even  the  simple  mixture  of  common  salt  and  water 
will  answer  an  admirable  purpose.  If  the  last  named  is 
used,  it  should  be  made  by  dissolving  in  a  pint  of  warm 
water — as  hot  as  the  horse  will  bear  it — all  the  salt  which 
the  liquid  will  hold  in  solution.  It  often  proves  almost  as 
eflicacious  as  chloroform. 

Having  proceeded  energetically  with  the  treatment  thus 
far,  the  practitioner,  for  the  rest,  must  rely  upon  the  im- 
mediate use  of  the  clyster.  Three  table-spoonfuls  of  tur- 
p'entine,  added  to  a  pint  of  melted  lard,  makes  one  of  the 
best  and  safest  clysters  known.  Warm  soap-suds,  thin 
starch,  or  salt  and  water,  may  be  used  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, and  are  very  simple  and  effective.  If  no  syringe  is  at 
21 


322  '      AMERICAN  FAHMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

hand,  a  long-necked  bottle  will  do  instead ;  the  bottom,  or 
back  end,  being  elevated,  the  contents  will  be  readily  dis- 
charged into  the  rectum.  A  horn,  or  a  long-necked  gourd 
is  nearl}^  as  convenient.  Let  nothing  prevent'  this  operation 
from  being  attended  to,  nor  from  being  repeated  until  a  pas- 
sage is  obtained.  Whoever  the  person  is  that  has  charge 
of  the  case,  he  must  be  fruitful  in  expedients.  If  one  con- 
venience is  not  to  be  found,  he  must  employ  the  substitute 
nearest  at  hand.  Above  all,  he  must  see  that  the  work  is 
not  only  done,  but  done  thoroughly. 

When  a  discharge  from  the  bowels  has  been  secured,  the 
horse  is  safe  for  the  present.  His  food  should  be  light,  and 
if  it  is  in  the  season  for  it,  pasture  alone  will  be  the  best. 
He  should  have  daily  exercise,  increasing  from  time  to  time, 
as  he  grows  able  to  bear  it.  For  three  or  four  days,  he 
should  have  as  much  pulverized  sulphur  and  rosin,  as  he  can 
be  induced  to  take ;  four  ounces  of  the  sulphur  and  two  of 
the  rosin,  at  a  dose. 

Before  proceeding  to  consider  the  diseases  of  the  large  in- 
testines, it  will  be  well  to  refresh  our  raeniory  in  regard  to 
the  anatomy  of  these  parts,  which  is  well  represented  in 
the  last  cut.  The  caecum,  with  its  remarkable  blind  pouch, 
appears  at  e;  the  colon,  at'f  gg;  and  the  rectum  between  h 
and  z,  the  latter  of  which  is  the  outlet,  the  anus. 

The  caecum,  or  blind  gut,  holds  about  four  gallons,  and  in 
it  are  countless  little  absorbents,  as  it  is  from  here  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  nutritive  elements  of  the  chyle  is  sup- 
posed to  be  transferred  to  the  circulation.  It  serves  as  a 
reservoir  for  the  large  quantities  of  water  which  the  horse 
drinks,  and  much  of  which  passes  directly  to  the  blind  pouch 
without  tarrying  in  the  stomach  or  intervening  small  intes- 
tines. -  The  colon,  in  which  the  last  processes  of  digestion 
are  completed,  is  very  large,  filling  about  two-fifths  of  the 
abdominal  cavity.  In  the  rectum,  the  last  of  the  intestines, 
the  excrement  accumulates  in  little  balls,  which  receive  their 
shape  and  consistency  from  the  action  of  the  numerous  little 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  323 

cells  of  the  colon,  until  the  horse  is  disposed  to  evacuate 
them  by  the  contraction  of  the  proper  muscles.  In  a  horse 
of  medium  size,  the  large  intestines  will  hold,  altogether, 
about  nineteen  gallons. 

FLATULENT   COLIC. 

This  disease  has  its  location  in  either  the  caecum  or  the 
colon,  or  sometimes  in  both.  The  colon  is  the  part  most 
violently  affected. 

It  may  be  excited,  in  great  part  at  least,  by  sympathy  with 
a  diseased  state  of  the  stomach  and  small  intestines,  which 
can  not  be  much  inflamed  without  affecting  the  whole  line 
of  the  alimentary  canal.  But  its  most  frequent  cause  is  un- 
doubtedly what  may  be  termed  stricture  of  the  rectum — con- 
traction of  the  rectum  upon  the  hard  masses  of  excrement 
with  such  force  that  the  passage  even  of  gases  becomes  im- 
possible. If  such  a  stricture  did  not  occur  somewhere,  there 
could  be  no  flatulent  colic,  of  course,  since  all  the  gases 
usually  generated  would  very  readily  escape  in  the  natural 
way. 

We  have  seen  how  common  it  is  for  these  foul  gases  to 
be  evolved  during  digestive  disturbances  in  the  stomach  and 
small  bowels.  There  may  be  fermentation  of  the  contents 
of  the  csecum  and  colon,  producing  the  same  results;  and, 
usually,  the  difiiculty  is  greatly  aggravated  by  the  accumu- 
lations of  gas  pressing  downward  from  the  stomach  and  the 
small  intestines  intervening. 

Flatulent  colic  evidences  pre-existent  inflammation  in  some 
part  of  the  alimentary  tube,  or,  at  least,  great  unnatural  heat, 
which  generates  the  noxious  gases.  These  distend  the  colon, 
and  then,  one  part  of  the  net  being  drawn  out,  the  other  part 
draws  in ;  in  other  words,  when  the  colon  is  greatly  distended, 
there  is  a  corresponding  contraction  at  the  throat  of  the  rec- 
tum, and  there  the  hard  masses  of  excrement  become  so  firmly 
impacted  that  it  often  requires  a  considerable  manual  exertion 
to  dislodge  them.  Such  a  condition  is  not  likely  to  occur  ex- 
cept when  the  stomach  has  been  gorged  with  immoderate 


,824  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

quantities  of  food,  and  the  collection  of  the  fceces  is  corres 
pondingly  great. 

TREATMENT. 

Sometimes  the  horse  will  recover  from  an  attack  of  flatu- 
lent colic  without  any  assistance.  The  stricture  relaxes  suf- 
ficiently to  allow  a  passage  of  the  fceces,  when,  the  obstruc- 
tion being  removed,  the  gases  readily  escape,  and  the  horse 
is  at  once  relieved. 

But  such  an  issue  can  not  be  calculated  upon,  and  ener- 
getic treatment  must  be  commenced  at  once,  for,  in  all  dig- 
eases  of  this  kind,  time  is  precious. 

The  essential  thing  to  be  done  is  to  remove  the  impedi- 
ment to  the  passage  of  the  gases  which  are  causing  such  a 
painful  expansion  of  the  bowels.  A  clyster  will  often  effect 
this,  in  connection  with  bleeding.  It  may  be  of  salt  and 
water,  of  soap-suds,  or  of  lard,  as  is  most  convenient.  By 
these  means,  the  parts  may  be  so  relaxed  as  to  admit  of  a 
passage,  and,  when*  this  point  is  reached,  the  danger  is 
over. 

.  The  only  course  which  can  be  infallibly  relied  upon,  how- 
ever, is  the  operation  which  the  books  speak  of  as  hack- 
raking,  consisting  simply  of  the  removal  of  the  impacted 
balls  from  the  throat  of  the  rectum  by  the  hand.  The  strict- 
ure takes  place  about  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  from  the 
anus.  The  hand  and  arm  should  be  well  greased,  and  grad- 
ually pushed  forward  to  the  place  of  the  obstruction,  and 
the  balls  carefully  removed.  If  the  forefinger  is  pushed 
through  the  ball,  it  can  be  pulled  along  more  readily ;  but 
the  ball  is  generally  too  hard  to  permit  of  this  being  done. 
In  this  case,  the  forefinger  must  be  gently  passed  over  the 
ball,  which  is  then  to  be  rolled  backward.  Such  will  be 
the  force  with  which  the  rectum  contracts  upon  the  hand^ 
and  arm  that  the  pain  will  become  very  great  to  the  oper- 
ator, and  he  will  probably  be  compelled  to  withdraw  the  arm 
for  a  time. 


^ 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  325 

INFLAMMATION   AND   RUPTURE   OF   THE   COLON. 

If  the  stricture  of  the  rectum  be  not  relieved,  the  diffi- 
culty grows  more  and  more  serious.  From  the  accumula- 
tion of  the  gases,  the  colon  is  distended  to  an  almost  incred- 
ible extent.  The  sides  of  the  flanks  are  puffed  out,  and  the 
horse  looks  as  though  he  had  been  inflated  with  wind.  The 
prevailing  fever  and  heat  rise  constantly,  and  the  symptoms 
become  more  and  more  acute.  No  one  who  has  ever  wit- 
nessed an  attack  of  this  kind  can  forget  the  terrible  mani- 
festation of  pain  which  it  has  occasioned. 

Subjected  to  a  terrible  strain  from  the  expansibility  of  the 
heated  gas,  and  even  disorganized,  to  a  certain  extent,  by 
its  poisonous  qualities,  the  coatings  of  the  intestines  at 
length  give  way,  and  become  perforated  with  little  holes. 
From  that  moment  the  horse  is  doomed.  Up  to"  this  period 
there  may  have  been  hopes  of  a  recovery,  but  this  catas- 
trophe settles  the  question.  It  will  be  almost  impossible  to 
decide  the  time  of  its  occurrence,  and  perhaps  the  patient 
even  seems  better,  as  the  fearful  distension  of  the  bowels  is 
now  greatly  relieved  by  the  escape  of  the  gas  through  the 
perforations.  If  these  are  large,  death  will  soon  ensue;  but 
if  small,  the  horse  may  possibly  linger  for  several  days. 

TREATMENT. 

The  attack  we  have  been  describing  is  essentia^  the  same 
as  enteritis,  or  perhaps  it  is  only  a  form  of  that  disease,  and 
hence  the  treatment  must  be  of  the  same  character. 

Our  first  operation  is  bleeding.  It  relaxes  the  parts,  and 
thus  accomplishes  what  medicines  will  not  and  can  not  do, 
for  they  never  reach  the  seat  of  the  trouble.  But  bleeding 
having  been  efficiently  performed,  medicines  may  be  of  much 
assistance  in  what  remains  of  the  treatment.  The  properties 
to  be  sought  in  their  selection  are  those  which  will  neutral- 
ize and  destroy  the  poisonous  gases,  and  that  will  make  the 
remedy  both  a  disinfectant  and  an  anti-spasmodic.  The 
chloroform    mixture   prescribed    for    enteritis   possesses   all 


326  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

these,  and  is  the  best  preparation  known  for  securing  the 
desired  effects.  If  there  is  high  fever,  it  will  prove  injuri- 
ous, just  as  will  all  other  powerful  medicines.  But  it  may 
be  safely  employed  in  the  large  majority  of  cases,  and  is  not 
only  exceedingly  efficient,  but  rapid  in  its  action.  Kext  in 
value  to  the  chloroform  is  that  simple  prescription,  hot  salt 
and  water.  This  never  does  any  harm,  and  its  materials  are 
always  at  hand. 

In  the  first  stages  of  the  attack,  bleeding  and  a  quart  of 
hot  salt  and  water  will  rarely  fail  to  cure.  If  the  case  is 
severe  or  obstinate,  bathe  the  flanks  and  the  parts  between 
the  hind  legs  with  the  salt  and  water,  as  hot  as  the  horse 
can  bear  it ;  or,  still  better,  do  this  with  the  hot  decoction 
of  tobacco..  Such  a  course  tends  to  hasten  the  relaxation  of 
the  parts  materially. 

INFLAMMATION  AND   BLEEDING   OF   THE   RECTUM. 

This  is  a  condition  we  have  frequently  been  called  upon 
to  treat  in  our  veterinary  practice.  It  usually  either  ac- 
companies or  follows  inflammation  of  the  colon.  Sometimes 
it  is  apparently  both  a  feature  and  a  successor  of  that  disease. 

Not  only  is  there  inflammation  and  swelling,  but  there  is 
protrusion,  forming  the  prolapsus  ani  of  the  doctors,  and 
blood  is  discharged  from  the  parts  in  considerable  quantities. 

TREATMENT. 

Such  a  case  demands  immediate  attention.  Cold  salt  and 
water  is  the  remedy,  applied  as  both  a  wash  and  a  clyster. 
The  addition  to  this  of  a  slight  infusion  of  chlorate  of  pot- 
ash, and  also  some  of  the  golden  seal,  will  decidedly  increase 
its  efficiency.     It  may  be  used  as  often  as  convenient. 

If  this  condition  is  not  connected  with  any  disease  of  the 
bowels,  no  bleeding  will  be  necessary. 

SORENESS    AND   ITCHING   OF   THE   ANUS. 

Following  after  diseases  of  the  rectum,  and  occasionally 
from  other  causes,  the  anus  sometimes  becomes  sore  and  ir- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS.  327 

ritable,  the  parts  showing  a  peculiar  dryness  and  scurfiness. 
The  horse  rubs  the  roots  of  his  tail,  often  until  nearly  all 
the  hair  is  worn  away.  Many  persons  imagine  the  trouble 
lies  about  the  roots  of  the  tail  or  the  hairs.  But  the  irrita- 
tion really  exists  at  the  point  we  have  named,  and  the  parts 
which  the  horse  rubs  are  as  near  it  as  he  can  reach.  Some- 
times, however,  the  itching  may  be  occasioned  by  worms. 

TREATMENT. 

Keep  the  parts  well  greased  with  some  lard,  in  which  a 
little  fine  salt  has  been  mixed.  This  will  soon  remove  the 
trouble.  In  a  few  cases,  we  have  found  the  soreness  to  exist 
just  within  the  rectum,  and  have  successfully  modified  the 
treatment  by  pressing  a  little  of  the  salt  lard,  and  some 
golden  seal  just  within  the  anus. 


328  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC. 

The  purpose  which  the  liver  subserves  in  the  animal  econ- 
omy is  an  important  one,  and  upon  the  projper  discharge  of 
the  functions  of  this  organ  the  health  of  any  animal  is 
largely  dependent.  It  is  in  the  liver  that  the  bile  is  elimi- 
nated from  the  blood,  and  hence  this  viscus  is  considered  a 
I  gland,  by  far  the  largest  one  in  the  body.  Using  the  terms 
'  exa^etion  ,a,nd  secretion  in  the  distinctive  senses  indicated  on 
page  58  of  this  work,  the  action  of  the  liver  is  both  secret- 
ive and  excretory — secretive  because  the  admixture  of  bile 
with  the  chyle  is  essential  to  the  healthy  performance  of  the 
digestive  process ;  excretory  because  if  the  bile  were  allowed 
to  remain  in  the  blood,  it  would  vitiate  and  poison  the  entire 
circulation.  These  considerations  will  better  enable  us  to 
understand  how  important  a  bearing  the  condition  of  this 
organ  must  have  upon  the  general  health. 

In  the  horse,  the  bile  from  the  liver,  together  with  a  whitish 
fluid  from  the  pancreas  (or  sweet-breadfSLa  it  is  vulgarly  called) 
enters  the  small  intestines  at  the  termination  of  the  duode- 
num, about  twenty-two  inches  from  the  pyloric  orifice  of  the 
stomach.  These  secretions  are  conveyed  through  the  biliary 
and  pancreatic  ducts,  which  are  shown  near  a,  in  the  cut  of 
the  intestines,  in  the  preceding  chapter.  The  horse  has  no 
gall-bladder,  so  that  the  bile,  as  fast  as  it  is  eliminated  from 
the  blood,  passes  directly  to  the  intestines.  He  is  less  sub- 
ject to  liver  complaints  than  either  any  of  the  remaining 
domestic  animals,  or  his  master — man. 

This  is  a  circumstance  which  the  farmer  may  well  be  thank- 
ful for,  on  account  of  the  obscurity  of  the  symptoms  in  such 
cases,  and  the  extreme  difficulty  of  determining  precisely 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     329 

what  the  trouble  is.  In  fact,  it  is  only  by  a  'post  mortem  ex- 
amination that  the  most  experienced  can  make  a  diagnosis, 
even  tolerably  satisfactory.  Perhaps  the  following  extract 
from  that  usually  precise  and  reliable  veterinarian,  Youatt, 
will  illustrate  all  that  we  could  wish  to  say  upon  the  vague- 
ness and  uncertainty  which  surrounds  our  knowledge  of 
hepatic  diseases  : 

"  If  horses,  destroyed  on  account  of  other  complaints,  are 
examined  when  they  are  not  more  than  five  years  old,  the 
liver  is  usually  found  in  the  most  healthy  state ;  but,  when 
they  arrive  at  eight  or  nine  or  ten  years,  this  viscus  is  fre- 
quently increased  in  size ;  it  is  less  elastic  under  pressure ; 
it  has  assumed  more  of  a  granulated  or  broken-down  ap- 
pearance ;  the  blood  does  not  so  readily  permeate  its  vessels, 
and,  at  length,  in  a  greater  or  less  quantity,  it  begins  to  exude,  -d' 
and  is  either  confined  under  the  peritoneal  covering,  or 
oozes  into  the  cavity  of  the  belly.  There  is  nothing,  for 
awhile,  to  indicate  the  existence  of  this.  The  horse  feeds 
well,  is  in  apparent  health,  in  good  condition,  and  capable 
of  constant  work,  notwithstanding  so  fatal  a  change  is  taking 
place  in  this  important  viscus ;  but,  at  length,  the  peritoneal 
covering  of  the  liver  suddenly  gives  way,  and  the  contents 
of  the  abdomen  are  deluged  with  blood,  or  a  sufficient  quan- 
tity of  this  fluid  has  gradually  oozed  out  to  interfere  with  the 
functions  of  the  viscera. 

"  The  symptoms  of  this  sudden  change  are  pawing,  shift- 
ing the  posture,  distension  of  the  belly,  curling  of  the  upper 
lip;  sighing  frequently  and  deeply;  the  mouth  and  nostrils 
pale  and  blanched,  the  breathing  quickened ;  restlessness,  de- 
bility, fainting,  and  death. 

"  On  opening  the  abdomen,  the  intestines  are  found  to  be 
deluged  with  dark  venous  blood.  The  liver  is  either  of  a 
fawn  or  light  yellow,  or  brown  color,  easily  torn  by  the 
finger,  and,  in  some  cases,  completely  broken  down." 

Hemorrhage  of  the  character  above  described,  when  it  is 
checked  before  the  animal  suffers  much  from  it,  is  said  to 
produce  the  genuine  gutta  serena  of  professional  occulists,  that 


330  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

kind  of  glass  eye  which  occasions  permanent  blindness ;  but 
upon  this  point  our  experience  does  not  enable  us  to  add 
testimony  of  any  sort. 

JAUNDICE,  OR  YELLOWS. 

^The  liver  of  the  horse  is  sometimes  attacked  by  inflam- 
mation, from  one  of  whose  symptoms  the  disease  is  known 
by  the  names  here  given.  "Yellows"  is  the  word  of  the 
common  people.  The  best  authorities  of  recent  date  discard 
the  term  "jaundice  "  as  being  apt  to  mislead,  the  slightly  yel- 
lowish tinge  of  the  eye  and  skin  being  no  indications  of  such 
a  state  as  is  understood  when  it  is  applied  to  the  human 
patient. 

Youatt's  description  of  the  disease,  though  under  the  old 
designation,  is  very  good. 

"  Jaundice  occasionally  appears,  either  from  an  increased 
flow  or  altered  quality  of  the  bile,  or  obstruction  even  in 
this  simple  tube  [the  biliary,  or  hepatic  duct].  The  yellow- 
ness of  the  eyes  and  mouth,  and  of  the  skin  where  it  is  not 
covered  with  hair,  mark  it  sufliciently  plain.  The  dung  is 
small  and  hard ;  the  urine  highly  colored ;  the  horse  languid, 
and  the  appetite  impaired.  If  he  is  not  soon  relieved,  he 
sometimes  begins  to  express  considerable  uneasiness ;  at  other 
times  he  is  dull,  heavy,  and  stupid.  A  characteristic  symp- 
tom is  lameness  of  the  right  fore-leg,  resembling  the  pain  in 
the  right  shoulder  of  the  human  being  in  hepatic  afi:ections. 
The  principal  causes  are  overfeeding  or  overexertion  in 
sultry  weather,  or  too  little  work,  generally  speaking,  or  in- 
flammation or  other  disease  of  the  liver  itself. 

"  It  is,  at  first,  necessary  to  inquire  whether  this  afi*ection 
of  the  liver  is  not  the  consequence  of  the  sympathy  of  that 
organ  with  some  other  part;  for,  to  a  very  considerable  de- 
gree, it  frequently  accompanies  inflammation  of  the  bowels 
and  the  lungs.  These  diseases  being  subdued,  jaundice  will 
disappear.  If  there  is  no  other  apparent  disease  to  any  great 
extent,  an  endeavor  to  restore  the  natural  passage  of  the  bile 
by  purgatives  may  be  tried,  not  consisting  of  large  doses,  lest 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     331 

there  should  be  some  undetected  inflammatioii  of  the  lungs 
or  bowels,  in  either  of  which  a  strong  purgative  would  be 
dangerous ;  but,  given  in  small  quantities,  repeated  at  short 
intervals,  and  until  the  bowels  are  freely  opened.  Bleeding 
should  always  be  resorted  to,  regulated  according  to  the  ap- 
parent degree  of  inflammation,  and  the  occasional  stupor  of 
the  animal.  Plenty  of  water,  slightly  warmed,  or  thin  gruel^ 
should  be  given." 

TREATMENT. 

Our  remedies  in  this  disease  are  necessarily  constitutional, 
rather  than  specific ;  or,  perhaps,  it  would  be  still  more 
proper  to  class  them  as  preventives.  They  consist  of  sulphur 
and  resin,  and  a  very  free  use  of  the  bark  of  the  yellow 
poplar,  either  in  the  form  of  a  powder,  or  as  a  decoction,  to  be 
administered  as  a  drench.  If  this  bark,  in  chips  or  pulver- 
ized, be  kept  in  the  manger,  the  horse  will  eat  considerable 
quantities  of  it.  It  acts  as  one  of  the  best  of  tonics  for  him. 
Golden  seal  operates  very  advantageously  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and,  in  connection  with  sulphur  and  resin,  forms  a  most 
excellent  tonic  alterative.  The  dose  is  one  ounce  of  the 
powder,  in  his  feed  or  in  the  compound  of  sulphur  and  resin. 
But,  above  all  the  alteratives  known  to  the  profession  gen- 
erally, we  give  the  preference  to  the  "  jimson  "  seed.  This 
may  be  considered  the  liver  and  blood  medicine  for  the 
horse. 

To  the  above  list  of  remedies  may  be  added  Prof.  Dale's 
powders  (see  Chapter  XXIV),  which  are  highly  recommended 
for  their  action  upon  the  blood  and  general  system  of  the 
horse. 

ENLARGEMENT   OF   THE   SPLEEN. 

"What  is  the  precise  function  of  the  spleen — or  melt,  as  it 
is  commonly  called — has  never  been  fully  demonstrated. 
This  strange  organ  is  subject  to  enlargement,  but  from  w^hat 
cause,  or  by  what  remedies  to  counteract  it,  no  one  seems 
to  have  more  than  surmised.     We  confess  to  an  entire  igno- 


332  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

ranee  in  relation  to  a  subject  which,  at  any  rate,  is  of  no 
practical  moment  to  the  farmer.  Youatt  says  the  spleen 
"  has  been  ruptured,"  but  to  brin^  this  about  must  certainly 
require  the  most  extraordinary  violence. 

INFLAMMATION   OF   THB   KIDNEYS,  OR   NEPHRITIS. 

The  kidneys  are  frequently  the  seat  of  disease,  one  of 
whose  most  acute  manifestations  is  that  of  their  inflamma- 
tion, technically  denominated  nephritis.  The  causes  of  this 
condition  are  various.  Perhaps  as  common  as  any  is  ex- 
posure of  the  loins  to  wet  when  the  animal  stands  still  for  a 
long  time,  especially  if  the  atmosphere  is  raw  and  chilly,  as 
well  as  damp.  We  know  that  when  certain  substances  also 
are  introduced  into  the  stomach  and  subjected  to  the  di- 
gestive process,  that  their  absorption  results  in  great  irrita- 
tion and  disturbance  of  renal  action  (renal  being  a  word 
that  signifies  "  relating  to  the  kidneys,"  which  were  anciently 
called  the  reins).  Thus,  moldy  feed  of  every  kind  is  found 
to  have  a  strong  tendency  to  bring  on  urinary  diseases. 
Many  strong  diuretics,  of  which  ignorant  practitioners  are  so 
extremely  fond,  possess  the  same  hurtful  properties  in  such 
degree  as  should  condemn  their  use  entirely,  except,  perhaps, 
in  the  hands  of  a  man  of  known  experience  and  caution. 
To  this  class  belong  all  such  mineral  poisons  as  saltpeter,  nux 
vomica,  blue  stone,  and  copperas. 

Severe  strains,  and  other  injuries  of  the  loins  and  hips, 
seem  often  to  cause  inflammation  of  the  kidneys,  though  the 
connection  between  the  two  circumstances  is  not  very  ob- 
vious; and  it  has  been  supposed  that  the  disease,  in  such 
cases,  is  developed  by  exposure  to  cold  while  in  a  state  of 
exhaustion,  or  that  some  branch  of  the  venal  artery  or  vein 
has  been  ruptured  by  the  violence  of  the  preceding  exertion. 

We  believe  that  bad  treatment  of  every  kind  predisposes 
to  venal  affections  as  one  of  the  effects  of  constitutional  de- 
bility, and  its  tendency  to  functional  derangement.  For  this 
reason,  therefore,  if  the  many  stronger  ones  were  all  lacking, 
low,  damp  situations  should  always  be  avoided,  and  the  foul 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     B33 

air  and  fetid  breath  of  many  stables  ought  never  to  be  tol- 
erated. Finally,  whatever  produces  disorder  in  the  digestive 
apparatus  will  be  quite  apt  to  extend  its  harmful  influence 
to  the  kidneys,  also,  as  adverted  to  above. 

"The  early  symptoms,"  says  Youatt,  "are  those  of  fever, 
generally ;  but  the  seat  of  the  disease  soon  becomes  evident. 
The  horse  looks  anxiously  round  at  his  flanks ;  stands  with 
his  hind  legs  wide  apart;  is  unwilling  to  lie  down;  straddles 
as  he  walks;  expresses  pain  in  turning;  shrinks  when  the 
loins  are  pressed,  and  some  degree  of  heat  is  felt  there.  The 
urine  is  voided  in  small  quantities;  frequently  it  is  high- 
colored,  and  sometimes  bloody.  The  attempt  to  urinate 
becoms  more  frequent,  and  the  quantity  voided  smaller,  until 
the  animal  strains  painfully  and  violently,  but  the  discharge 
is  nearly  or  quite  suppressed.  The  pulse  is  quick  and  hard-^— 
full  in  the  early  stage  of  the  disease,  but  rapidly  becoming 
small,  yet  not  losing  its  character  of  hardness.  These  symp- 
toms clearly  indicate  an  aflection  of  the  urinary  organs;  but 
they  do  not  distinguish  inflammation  of  the  kidney  from 
that  of  the  bladder.  In  order  to  effect  this,  the  hand  must  be 
introduced  into  the  rectum.  If  the  bladder  is  felt  full  and 
hard  under  the  rectum,  there  is  inflainmation  of  the  neck  of 
it;  if  it  is  empty,  yet  on  the  portion  of  the  intestines  im- 
mediately over  it  there  is  more  than  natural  heat  and  tender- 
ness, there  is  inflammation  of  the  body  of  the  bladder ;  and 
if  the  bladder  is  empty,  and  there  is  no  increased  heat  or 
tenderness,  there  is  inflammation  of  the  kidney." 

TREATMENT. 

Bleeding  should  be  resorted  to  at  once,  in  order  to  abate 
the  inflammation.  An  ounce  of  assafetida,  or  even  more  if 
the  case  is  urgent,  may  be  given  safely,  as  a  pill.  A  third 
of  a  pound  of  Epsom  salts,  administered  in  the  usual  manner, 
will  do  nearly  as  well.  Make  a  free  application  of  the  magic 
nerve  liniment  to  the  loins;  or  the  corrosive  liniment  may 
be  used  instead,  if  more  convenient.  The  patient  should  be 
plied  with  a  small  quantity  of  sulphur  and  resin  daily.    The 


,n^ 


S84 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


latter  is  a  mild  diuretic,  and  the  only  one  which  should  be 
given. 

If  it  is  winter-time,  be  sure  and  see  that  the  stable  is  warm 
and  dry ;  and  should  it  turn  cold,  cover  the  animal  with  a 
blanket.  The  feed  should  be  light  and  moist,  a  large  pro- 
portion of  it  green.  If  pasture  can  be  had,  no  other  food 
will  be  needed. 

Especial  attention  should  be  paid  to  removing  the  causes 
of  the  disease,  if  they  still  exist ;  and,  in  all  cases,  the  entire 
diet  should  be  changed  at  once.  The  effect  of  this  course 
upon  the  character  of  the  urine  will  soon  prove  of  marked 
benefit.  When  feeding  any  horse  moldy  and  unwholesome 
food,  the  owner  might  profitably  stop  and  consider  whether 
he  is  not  losing  two  dollars  in  horse-flesh  where  be  saves 
one  in  the  cost  of  hay  and  oats  of  the  best  quality.  If  an  at- 
tack of  this  disease  follows  the  use  of  such  food,  he  can  not 
escape  conviction  under  the  charge  of  having  produced  it ; 
and  if  the  horse  dies,  he  is  the  destroyer. 

PROFUSE  STALLING,  OR  DIABETES. 

Of  this  disease  we  know  but  little  more  than  its  existence, 
and  its  obvious  manifestations  in  a  troublesome  and  excess- 
ive flow  of  urine.  Of  course,  it  proceeds  from  an  unnaturally 
increased  action  of  the  kidneys,  but  its  primary  causes  are 
obscure.  Strong  diuretic  medicines,  as  might  be  expected, 
sometimes  develop  it ;  and  unwholesome  food,  such  as  mow- 
burnt  hay,  moldy  fodder,  etc.,  has  a  similar  tendency.  In 
England,  the  disease  is  said  to  be  much  more  common  than 
formerly. 

TREATMENT.  ♦ 

We  recommend  a  decoction,  or  tea,  made  of  whortleberry 
leaves,  the  plant  known  to  the  botanist  as  the  uva  ursi.  Take 
two  ounces  of  the  leaves  and  boil  them  well  in  a  quart  of 
water.  This  will  make  two  doses,  one  of  them  to  be  given 
in  the  morning  of  each  alternate  day,  the  treatment  being 
continued  until  the  trouble  is  removed.  Bleeding  will  not 
l>e  necessary  in  this  case. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     335 

Be  at  pains  to  remove  from  the  customary  diet  every  arti- 
cle of  food  having  a  diuretic  tendency,  especially  if  it  is  foul 
and  unhealthy  generally.  If  this  is  neglected,  you  run  the 
risk  of  soon  having  a  case  of  inflammation  of  the  kidneys 
on  your  hands. 

BLOODY    URINE,   OR    HiEMATURA. 

Bloody  discharges  are  sometimes  mixed  with  the  urine, 
and  this  may  occur,  in  connection  with  its  flow,  in  natural 
increased  or  diminished  quantities.  Occasionally  the  blood 
passes  away  in  lumps  of  a  somewhat  dingy  hue,  but  it  is  oft- 
ejner  diffused  through  the  urine,  giving  it  a  highly-colored 
brownish-red  tint.  The  causes  of  this  phenomenon  are  not 
well  understood,  but  it  is  believed  to  be  occasioned  by  some 
mechanical  injury  within  the  kidneys  or  about  the  region  of 
the  loins — some  lesion  of  the  parts,  which  occasions  an  oozing 
out  of  blood,  continuing  until  the  wound  is  healed.  The 
results  of  dissection  indicate  that  the  mischief,  in  some  cases, 
proceeds  from  the  presence  of  a  species  of  little  worms,  of 
cancer,  or  of  sharp  calculus  in  the  kidneys. 

TREATMENT. 

Moderate  bleeding  will  be  beneficial  in  most  cases.  Use 
the  whortleberry  tea,  as  prescribed  in  the  last  section,  and, 
if  any  thing  more  is  needed,  give  a  solution  of  the  acetate  of 
potash  in  half  a  pint  of  cold  water.  In  preparing  the  solu- 
tion, the  proportions  will  be  two  drachms  of  the  acetate  of 
potash  to  four  ounces  of  water.  In  a  very  mild  case,  a  few 
days  of  rest  will  sometimes  set  matters  right,  without  any 
thing  additional. 

THICK  AND   ALBUMINOUS   URINE. 

In  our  country,  horses  are  very  subject  to  the  annoyance 
of  thickened  urine,  often  of  a  mucilaginous  consistency.  In 
its  mildest  stages,  this  aft'ection  is  characterized  by  a  thick, 
reddish-brown  discharge,  when  the  urine  first  begins  to  flow, 
but  changing  soon  to  a  more  natural  appearance,  and  ending 


'V' 


836  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

with  a  whitish,  milky  fluid;  or,  as  sometimes  happens,  the 
process  is. exactly  the  reverse  of  this.  When  the  disease  is 
further  advanced,  the  urine  is  thicker  and  of  the  deeper  tinge 
at  every  period  of  its  discharge,  and  often  has  an  offensive 
smell.  Hundreds  of  our  readers  have  doubtless  seen  the 
case  in  so  bad  a  form  that  the  urine  flowed  and  fell  to  the 
ground  like  a  stream  of  molasses,  and  was  nearly  as  dark  in 
color. 

The  thick,  milky  discharge  resembles  that  which  a  few 
veterinary  writers  have  described  under  the  name  of  albu- 
minous urine,  in  which  the  kidneys  secrete  an  excessive 
quantity  of  albumen — the  sticky  element  of  the  blood,  and 
that  which  is  found,  almost  unmixed  with  any  other  sub- 
stance, in  the  white  of  an  egg. 

In  this  condition,  there  is  great  difficulty  experienced  in 
passing  the  urine,  which  the  horse  seeks  to  overcome  by 
stretching,  straining,  and  putting  out  his  fore-feet  as  far  aa 
possible.  Some  8tifi*ness  in  the  hind  legs  and  hips  also  ac- 
companies it,  and  occasionally  there  is  some  fever.  As  will 
now  be  described,  this  is  one  of  the  agencies  instrumental  in 
producing  the  paiaful  disease  which  is  known  as  gravel — 
the  formation  of  calculi,  or  stones,  in  the  kidneys  and  bladder. 

WHITE   OR   LIMY   URINE. 

In  all  urinary  discharges,  there  is  a  certain  amount  of  cal- 
carious  or  limy  substances,  which,  if  they  pass  away  natur- 
ally and  without  any  obstruction,  are  not  prejudicial  to  the 
animal's  health.  Even  when  these  limy  secretions  are  excess- 
ive, they  do  not  probably  bring  on  any  specific  disease,  until 
the  urine  takes  on  the  albuminous  character,  mentioned 
above;  and  then  there  is  a  mechanical  union  of  the  sticky 
albumen  and  the  limy  matter,  so  that  the  latter  is  cemented 
into  little  balls,  or  lumps,  which  continue  to  slowly  increase 
in  size,  and,  at  last,  become  very  painful.  As  a  certain  com- 
bination of  circumstances  is  necessary  to  solidify  the  fine  mist 
of  the  clouds  into  the  rattling  hail-stones,  so  it  requires  the  pres- 
ence and  action  of  the  albumen  to  unite  the  impalpable  limy 


%^" 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     337 

deposits  of  the  urine  into  calculi.     "We  have  now  come  to  the 
subject  of 

GRAVEL,   OR   STONE   IN   THE    BLADDER. 

The  latter  of  these  terms  is  not  popularly  applied  to  the 
disease  until  the  calculi  have  become  of  considerable  size,  and 
occasion  extreme  suffering ;  but  this  is  only  an  aggravation 
of  gravel. 

The  origin  of  this  most  distressing  complaint  is  to  be  found 
in  the  kidneys  rather  than  the  bladder;  for,  although  calculi 
are  oftener  found  in  the  latter,  it  is  every  way  probable  that 
they  exist  there  only  as  secondary  results.  According  to  this 
view,  they  are  first  formed  in  the  kidneys,  and,  passing  to 
the  bladder  when  still  quite  small,  frequently  continue  to 
grow  until  they  attain  an  astonishing  size.  Some  have  been 
removed  from  the  bladder,  by  surgical  operations,  that 
weighed  four  ounces!  In  the  human  subject,  ,the  kidneys 
are  situated  almost  directly  over  the  bladder,  by  which  ar- 
rangement the  force  of  gravity  acts  to  convey  the  little  cal- 
careous mass  along  the  latter.  But  in  the  horse  the  case  is 
different.  The  passage  communicating  between  the  two  or- 
gans is  very  nearly  horizontal,  and  the  influence  of  gravity, 
in  effecting  the  end  referred  to,  is  hardly  noticeable ;  hence 
calculi  not  unfrequently  remain  in  the  horse's  kidneys,  and 
do  great  injury  to  those  organs.  In  other  cases,  the  calculi 
pass  into  the  bladder,  and,  when  the  urine  is  voided,  are  car- 
ried by  its  current  into  the  neck  of  that  organ,  and  partially 
or  wholly  close  this  outlet,  and  the  stream  then  flows  either 
very  slowly  or  is  suppressed  entirely. 

We  have  no  certain  means  of  detecting  the  existence  of 
calculi  in  the  kidneys,  and  the  fact  can  only  be  inferred  from 
the  scantiness  of  the  urine,  when  this  is  not  traceable  to  any 
trouble  within  the  bladder,  and  by  the  general  symptoms  of 
venal  disease.  But  when  these  bodies  are  in  the  bladder, 
they  may  be  readily  felt  by  passing  the  hand  into  the  rectum 
and  pressing  the  fingers  on  the  bladder,  which  lies  immedi- 
ately underneath.  This  is  a  sure  test,  if  the  calculi  are  of 
any  size  whatever. 
22 


■^ 


338  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  symptoms  of  gravel  are  generally  very  much  the  same 
as  those  of  spasmodic  colic;  but  they  come  on  less  rapidly, 
and  not  so  severe,  while  the  horse's  actions  point  to  a  spot 
further  back  than  in  colic  as  the  seat  of  his  suffering.  But 
great  difficulty  is  manifested  in  voiding  the  urine,  whose 
passage  is  attended  with  violent  straining  and  groans  of  dis- 
tress; and,  as  before  intimated,  the  irregularities  of  the  urinal 
flow  may  even  amount  to  a  total  suppression.  The  color  and 
heat  of  the  urine  is  another  characteristic  indication.  In 
both  colic  and  gravel  the  sufferer  sweats  profusely,  but  there 
is  more  of  this  about  the  flanks  and  loins  in  the  latter  dis- 
ease. 

Stone  in  the  bladder  is  the  cause  of  the  most  acute  suffer- 
ing. Persons  who  have  been  thus  afflicted  describe  their 
tortures  as  beyond  the  power  of  expression.  Even  if  the 
passage  of  urine  is  not  much  obstructed,  the  weight  and  pres- 
sure of  such  a  body  within  the  bladder  is  a  constant  source 
of  annoyance  and  irritation,  while  its  rough  and  jagged  edges 
may  lacerate  and  seriously  injure  the  delicate  membranes  of 
all  these  parts. 

Happily,  the  farmer  rarely  has  such  a  case  to  encounter 
among  his  stock ;  but  when  he  does,  he  will  always  find  it  a 
most  obstinate  disease  to  manage.  At  best,  it  will  take  time 
to  remove  the  difficulty,  which,  in  severe  cases,  it  will  defy 
his  utmost  endeavors  to  do,  nothing  but  a  delicate  surgical 
operation  offering  any  hopes  of  success. 

TREATMENT. 

We  give  two  remedies,  both  of  which  have  cured,  and 
both  of  which  have  been  known  to  fail — as  all  treatment 
frequently  must  fail  in  this  disease.  Our  preference,  how- 
ever, is  indicated  by  the  order  in  which  we  here  mention 
them. 

The  first  is  "  jimson  seed."  That  this  was  of  great  value 
rn  cases  of  gravel,  we  learned  in  treating  a  fine  horse,  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Robert  McDonald,  of  Salem,  Tippah  County, 
Mississippi.     This  was  a  case  of  chronic  distemper,  wdth  the 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.    339 

complication  of  gravel  in  an  aggravated  form.  "Jimson 
seed  "  was  employed  as  an  alterative  and  tonic  in  treating 
the  distemper,  and  effectually  cured  the  gravel  also. 

The  dose  is  an  ounce,  or  large  table-spoonful,  in  the  feed, 
every  other  day,  until  the  horse  is  better,  or  until  i^ve  or  six 
doses  have  been  given.  Accompanying  this,  prepare  and 
give  the  following :  Four  ounces  of  the  spirits  of  niter,  half 
an  ounce  of  the  oil  of  juniper,  and  one  ounce  of  the  oil  of 
sassafras.  Divide  this  into  four  doses,  and  give  one  of  them 
in  the  morning,  and  another  at  night,  for  two  successive  days. 

The  other  remedy  is  to  take  a  quart  of  green  coffee,  and 
boil  it  in  a  gallon  of  water  until  the  strength  is  all  out,  and 
only  about  a  quart  of  water  is  left.-  Divide  this  into  three 
doses,  and  give  one  dose,  with  an  ounce  of  spirits  of  niter 
in  it,  every  other  day. 

In  an  experience  of  twenty  years,  we  have  seen  but  few 
well-defined  cases  of  gravel.  Four  or  five  we  treated,  and 
of  these  we  succeeded  in  curing  all  but  one.  The  exception 
was  a  mule  in  most  pitiful  condition  when  we  first  saw  him. 
There  had  been  an  entire  suppression  of  urine  for  a  week, 
and  the  parts  were  very  much  swollen.  Whether  our  di- 
rections were  strictly  carried  out  we  never  learned,  but  we 
did  learn  that  the  animal  died. 

SUPPRESSION  OF   URINE. 

This  painful  disorder  has  already  been  adverted  to  as  one 
of  the  occasional  symptoms  of  gravel,  and  the  presence  of 
large  calculi  in  the  kidneys  and  bladder;  but  this,  although 
the  most  common  cause,  is  by  no  means  the  only  one.  The 
same  effect  may  follow  stricture  of  the  urethra,  produced  by 
some  mechanical  injury.  The  urethra,  as  the  reader  will 
recollect,  is  the  canal  extending  from  the  neck  of  the  blad- 
der, and  through  which  the  urine  is  voided.  Inflammation 
and  swelling  of  the  neck  of  the  bladder  also  may  obstruct 
or  entirely  prevent  the  urinal  flow.  From  whatever  cause 
it  has  originated,  such  a  condition  is  necessarily  productive 
of  intense  pain. 


340  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


TREATMENT. 

In  all  cases  of  this  complaint,  give  the  spirits  of  niter  mix- 
ture, prescribed  in  the  last  section  for  gravel ;  but  the  quan- 
tity there  specified  should  be  divided  into  three  instead  of 
four 'doses,  of  which  administer  one  at  morning,  noon,  and 
night,  in  a  pint  of  warm  water.  If  gravel  be  the  cause  of 
-  the  trouble,  the  niter  mixture  should  be  used  in  connection 
with  the  other  treatment  laid  down  for  that  disease.  Should 
there  be  much  swelling  of  the  parts,  bathe  them  well  with 
cold  salt  and  water,  three  or  four  times  a  day. 

INFLAMMATION   OF   THE   BLADDER. 

In  nearly  all  cases,  the  existence  of  this  disease  is  due  to 
gravel,  yet  occcasionally  one  finds  a  case  of  primary  inflam- 
mation of  the  bladder.  The  books  call  this  disorder  cystitis. 
The  neck  is  that  part  of  the  organ  most  generally  afl:ected, 
the  membranes  of  its  body  being  involved  but  comparatively 
seldom. 

There  is  always  a  degree  of  inflammation  in  connection 
with  gravel,  owing  to  the  mechanical  irritation  of  the  parts. 
Aside  from  this,  we  know  of  no  other  cause  for  this  disease, 
except  the  administration  of  certain  poisons  as  diuretics,  con- 
spicuous in  the  list  of  which  are  cantharides  and  nux  vomica. 
If  people  will  force  such  substances  into  the  horse's  stomach, 
they  deserve  to  lose  their  stock.  But  how  can  they  plead 
guiltless  to  the  charge  of  wantonly  torturing  and  destroying 
those  dumb  brutes  committed  to  their  control  by  the  benefi- 
cent Creator  ? 

TREATMENT. 

Copious  bleeding  is  the  first  step  in  the  treatment.  iNTot 
less  than  a  gallon  of  blood  should  be  extracted  at  once. 
Then  give  the  niter  mixture,  as  directed  for  gravel.  Let  the 
patient  have  a  pint  of  flaxseed  tea  three  times  a  day,  and, 
^  if  he  will  eat  at  all,  set  before  him  only  light,  soft  food — 
preferably  a  bran-mash — rye-bran,  if  it  can  be  procured 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.    341 

Bathe  the  loins,  sheath,  and  adjacent  parts  with  cold  salt 
and  ^yater.     In  hot  weather,  use  ice,  if  it  can  be  got. 

Let  the  horse  remain  perfectly  still,  or  as  nearly  so  as  pos- 
sible. He  should  have  no  strong  food  for  a  long  time,  and, 
unless  the  owner  is  willing  to  dispense  with  his  services  for- 
ever, there  should  be  a  total  banishment  of  moldy  hay  and 
fodder  from  his  manger,  and  only  the  most  sparing  use  of 
corn  for  all  the  future. 

FOUL    SHEATH. 

A  foul  sheath  is  a  low  voiced  commentary  on  the  neglect 
and  stupidity  of  the  horse's  keeper.  The  number  of  horses 
that  suffer  from  thi-s  condition — ^growing  poor,  sinking  into 
low  condition,  and  sometimes  even  dying  from  its  effects — is 
really  astonishing;  and  so,  also,  is  the  frequency  with  which 
it  causes  other  and  serious  diseases.  Inattention  in  this  re- 
gard has  nearly,  or  quite,  ruined  many  an  animal  for  a  time, 
and  sonietimes  permanently. 

We  have  been  called  to  see  at  least  a  hundred  horses, 
many  of  them  so  reduced  as  to  be  "  on  the  lift,"  when 
nothing  else  was  the  matter ;  and  to  the  same  cause  may  be 
traced  mauy  cases  of  stricture  of  the  urinary  org^s — sup- 
pression of  urine,  bloody  discharges,  and  even  inflammation 
of  the  kidneys.  A  horse  in  this  condition  will  invariably 
be  colicky,  for  we  have  good  reason  to  know  that  the  in- 
flammation set  upop  these  parts  often  extends  its  influence 
to  the  bowels. 

The  difllculty  consists  in  the  collection  of  lumps  of  black, 
waxy  substance  inside  of  the  sheath  and  its  upper  extremity. 
In  some  cases,  there  is  only  one  of  these  lumps,  while  in  others 
we  have  found  two,  three,  or  four  of  them,  varying  in  bulk 
from  that  of  a  walnut  to  a  hen's  egg  of  large  size.  If  these 
are  long  permitted  to  remain,  they  produce  soreness,  fever, 
and  inflammation,  so  that  the  horse  dribbles  his  water  from 
the  sheath.  Matter  begins  forming  in  time;  and  it  has  often 
excited  both  our  astonishment  and  indignation  to  see  how 
blind  some  owners  are  when  the  horse  is  even  in  this  condition. 


342  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

We  have  been  called  ou  to  examine  perhaps  fifty  poor, 
broken-down  animals,  from  whose  sheaths  putrid,  offensive 
matter  had  been  running  for  months,. and  the  horse  was  so 
stiff  from  its  effects  that  he  could  hardly  move  at  all ;  and 
all  this  time  the  stupid  attendant  "  could  not  tell,  for  the  life 
of  him,"  what  was  the  trouble. 

Foul  sheath  is  intimately  associated  with  fever  and  dis- 
ease of  the  urinary  organs,  and,  in  many  cases,  is  caused  by 
them.  But  it  is  oftener  a  promoter  of  them.  Old  horses  are 
much  more  subject  to  it  than  younger  ones,  the  mucous 
secretion  which  Nature  furnishes  to  lubricate  the  parts  and 
facilitate  their  movements  being  apparently  more  thick  and 
waxy  in  old  age. 

The  symptoms  will  be  easily  recognized  by  an  observant 
spectator.  The  horse  does  not  protrude  the  penis  at  all  in 
the  act  of  urinating,  but  lets  the  water  run  out  of  his  sheath. 
Such  an  indication  invariably  points  to  something  wrong 
in  this  quarter.  There  is  also  considerable  soreness  of  the 
parts,  stiffness  of  the  hips,  and  a  disposition  to  straddle  out 
the  hind  legs,  in  order  to  give  as  much  room  and  as  free 
play  as  possible  to  the  irritated  surfaces.  When  in  health, 
the  hor^  usually  throws  back  the  hind  limbs  and  drops  the 
hips,  in  which  position  he  sometimes  makes  two  or  three 
efforts  before  the  stream  begins  to  flow;  but,  in  the  case 
under  consideration,  he  hardly  moves  at  all,  and  seems 
rather  to  permit"  than  force  the  urination.  The  explanation 
of  this  is,  that  every  motion  and  the  ordinary  contraction 
of  the  muscles  concerned  in  this  operation  necessarily  give 
him  pain. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  is  very  simple.  The  first  thing  to  be  done 
is  to  clean  the  sheath.  Remove  the  lumps,  if  there  be  any, 
with  the  hands ;  then  wash  out  thoroughly  with  some  clean 
soap-suds;  after  which,  grease  with  a  spoonful  of  lard  in 
which  has  been  mixed  half  as  much  fine  salt.  Be  certain 
that  this  is  applied  to  all  partb  of  the  inside  of  the  sheath, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     343 

and  let  it  remain  until  the  second  day.  Kow  wash  out  with 
soap  and  water,  and  apply  the  lard  and  salt  as  before.  This 
treatment  must  be  continued  until  the  parts  are  well,  or 
until  the  foul  smell  that  communicates  to  the  hand  or  cloth 
employed  has  entirely  disappeared. 

Bathe  the  outside  of  the  sheath,  two  or  three  times  a  day, 
with  cold  water,  if  it  is  in  the  summer  time,  but  in  the 
winter  have  the  water  warmed.  If  the  horse  is  in  quite 
a  bad  condition,  or  has  fever,  bleed  once,  taking  three  or 
four  quarts  of  blood,  and  give  him  plenty  of  sulphur  and 
resin.     Do  not  work  him  until  he  is  well  again. 

COLT   FOUNDER. 

During  the  years  from  1850  to  1856  inclusive,  a  remark- 
able disease  prevailed  extensively  in  many  parts  of  the  val- 
ley of  the  Mississippi  among  brood-mares,  to  which  the  peo- 
ple of  those  sections  gave  the  name  of  colt  founder.  It 
always  occurred  while  the  mare  was  heavy  with  foal,  and 
first  showed  itself  by  tenderness  and  soreness  of  the  loins, 
accompanied  by  fever.  This  soon  brought  on  extreme  de- 
bility, ending  in  complete  prostration  and  death.  In  some 
instances,  a  few  days  sufficed  to  reduce  the  sufferer  so  much 
that  she  was  "on  the  lift,"  while  in  others  the  disease  did 
its  work  much  more  slowly. 

Two  out  of  every  three  mares  thus  attacked  died  sooner 
or  later,  and  above  one-half  of  these  before  foaling.  If  the 
animal  succeeded  in  giving  birth  to  the  colt,  she  sometimes 
recovered,  but  more  frequently  she  died  before  this  took 
place.  We  have  known  a  number  of  colts  born  when  the 
mothers  were  so  weak  that  they  could  not  stand  on  their 
feet;  and,  in  most  of  these  cases,  the  offspring  were  not  only 
born  alive,  but  were  raised  by  hand,  and  made  tine  horses. 
The  comparatively  few  mares  that  recovered  after  parturi- 
tion did  so  only  after  a  long  time,  and  a  large  proportion 
were  feeble,  and  disqualified  for  service  for  a  twelvemonth 
afterward. 

One  feature  of  the  disease,  in  particular,  was  well  calculated 


*¥ 


344  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  farmer  and  veterinariau,  and 
this  was. that  its  favorite  victims  were  selected  from  among 
the  finest  brood-mares  on  some  of  the  best  stock  farms,  and 
especially  those  of  Middle  Tennessee.  It  was  a  most  painful 
scene,  yet  one  often  to  be  witnessed,  to  discover  a  fine,  large, 
fleshy  brood-mare,  heavy  with  foal,  lying  helplessly  upon  her 
side,  unable  to  rise. 

No  specific  was  ever  found  for  "  colt  founder."  Various 
remedies  were  tried,  some  of  which  often  gave  relief,  and  at 
times  was  undoubtedly  the  means  of  saving  life.  Neverthe- 
less there  was  nothing  which  could  be  relied  upon  for  a  cure. 
The  difficulty  was  not  so  much  to  understand  the  disease  as 
it  was  to  reach  it  by  any  adequate  method  of  treatment. 
This  was  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  attack,  and  the  peculiar 
condition  of  the  mare. 

Plainly  the  disease  was  inflammation  of  the  uterus,  or 
womb,  involving  the  organs  of  production  generally,  and,  in 
some  instances,  the  kidneys  and  bladder  also.  The  intense 
heat  of  the  parts  could  be  readily  felt  in  the  rectum ;  the 
uterus  was  terribly  swollen  and  inflamed,  often  producing 
prolapsus  uteri  (falling  of  the  womb) ;  and  the  hinder  part€ 
were  dreadfully  pufted  out,  making  a  most  unsightly  appear- 
ance. The  eftects  of  the  fever  upon  the  urinary  organs  were 
clearly  manifested  by  the  highly-colored  character  of  the 
discharges.  Except  in  cases  of  blind  staggers,  and  possibly 
a  few  others  of  rare  occurrence,  we  have  never  known  so 
high  a  pulse,  frequently  from  sixty  to  seventy  per  minute. 

From  examination  and  treatment  of  a  large  number  of 
cases,  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  trouble  was  prin- 
cipally caused  by  overfeeding  with  corn,  and  the  plethoric 
condition  of  the  mare.  As  spring  came  on,  the  time  of 
change  and  shedding  the  hair,  the  pressure  of  the  heavy  foal 
upon  the  vessels,  filled  with  the  heated,  turgid  blood,  so  ob- 
structed circulation  as  to  give  rise  to  local  fever  and  inflam- 
mation. We  are  convinced  that  this  result  was  materially 
hastened  by  some  peculiar  epidemic  influences  prevalent 
during  the  years  named.     The  disease  was  but  little  known 


*'• 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.    345 

before  that  period,  and  prettj^  generally  disappeared  afterward. 
It  was  the  most  common  in  Middle  and  West  Tennessee, 
and  I^orthern  Mississippi ;  and,  so  far  as  our  knowledge  ex- 
tends, no  disease  characterized  by  the  same  symptoms  has 
ever  prevailed  elsewhere  than  in  those  sections,  and  to  a  less 
degree  in  the  territory  contiguous.  But  the  periodic  recur- 
rence of  many  epidemics  is  a  fact  so  well  established,  that  it 
would  not  be  at  all  surprising  if  "  colt  founder,"  though  per- 
haps under  another  name,  should  again  invade  the  stock- 
raising  districts  of  the  South-west  at  some  future  time,  and 
hence  we  deem  it  best  to  detail  in  full  the 

TREATMENT. 

This  we  shall  give  as  practiced  under  our  directions  in  nu- 
merous cases.  When  fairly  carried  out  it  will  save  four  or 
five  mares  out  of  every  six.  It  was  attended  with  a  greater 
measure  of  success  than  rewarded  any  other  which  ever  came 
within  our  observation. 

Bleeding  was  apparently  indicated  by  the  marked  symp- 
toms of  inflammation  and  fever,  but  copious  bleeding  was 
extremely  apt  to  bring  on  an  abortion,  to  cause  the  mare  to 
cast  her  foal,  and  this  led  us  to  abandon  the  practice  alto- 
gether, as  unwarrantably  hazardous. 

We  next  resorted  to  the  use  of  counter-irritants,  and  found 
that  the  corrosive  liniment,  applied  to  the  loins,  produced  an 
excellent  effect.  That  compound,  as  a  counter-irritant,  is  not 
excelled  by  any  thing  known  to  the  profession.  We  invari- 
ably continued  to  employ  the  liniment  in  subsequent  cases. 

The  next  step  was  direct  medication — some  prescription  to 
act  as  a  mild  diuretic,  more  powerful  remedies  operating 
very  badly.  For  this  purpose  we  gave  the  following:  One 
ounce  of  golden  seal  in  a  quart  of  water,  which  was  then 
boiled  well  and  strained.  To  this  were  added  two  large 
table- spoonfuls  of  fine  salt,  and  one  ounce  of  spirits  of  niter. 
Three  doses  were  thus  made,  and  one  of  them  was  given  cold 
each  morning. 

Two  or  three  times  a  day,  as  much  as  a  pint  of  cold  salt 


346  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

and  water,  containing  a  slight  admixture  of  spirits  of  niter, 
was  injected  into  the  vagina,  and  thrown  well  up  toward  the 
uterus.  At  the  same  time  the  clyster  of  salt  and  water  was 
freely  used  in  the  ordinary  manner.  We  recommend  the  ad- 
dition of  a  small  quantity  of  cream  of  tartar  to  the  uterine 
clyster.  In  warm  weather  it  had  an  excellent  effect  to  turn 
bucketfuls  of  cold  water  upon  the  loins. 

Chief  among  the  obstacles  to  a  cure  was  the  extreme  weak- 
ness of  the  hips.  Once  down,  the  sufferer  could  not  get  up ; 
and  lying  out  in  the  hot,  scorching  sun,  the  prey  of  a  high, 
consuming  fever,  she  was  sure  to  die.  Another  great  diffi- 
"  culty  to  be  encountered  was  the  almost  entire  loss  of  the  use 
of  the  hind  legs,  the  limbs  becoming  more  and  more  numb 
and  stiff  the  longer  she  lay  upon  the  ground.  It  was  indis- 
pensable, therefore,  to  build  a  shelter  over  her,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  raise  her  to  a  standing  position,  so  that  some 
exercise  of  the  hind  extremities  could  be  obtained. 

We  have  seen  dozens  of  the  finest  mares  to  be  found  on 
the  farms  in  Middle  Tennessee,  where  fine  stock  abounds, 
lying  on  the  ground,  as  some  of  them  had  been  for  weeks, 
exposed  to  all  the  alternations  of  cold  rains,  chilling  winds, 
and  scorching  suns  which  the  season  might  bring,  their 
bodies  and  legs  nearly  eaten  up  by  those  torments,  the  flies, 
and  the  ground  beaten  like  a  mill-path  for  yards,  from  the 
poor  creatures  dragging  themselves  along  by  the  fore-legs 
and  feet.  How  earnestly  have  we  begged  and  plead  with  the 
owner  to  do  something  for  the  suffering  animal !  But  very 
often  our  appeals  were  met  by  "  the  penny-wise,  pound-foolish,'' 
not  to  say  most  cruel,  reply  that  he  was  too  busy ;  had  too 
much  else  to  attend  to,  and  the  sooner  she  died  the  better. 
Sometimes,  however,  the  owners  did  set  to  work  and  raise 
the  patients  to  their  feet,  and  generally  succeeded  in  carry- 
ing them  through  safely. 

The  modes  of  operation  adopted  in  such  cases,  may  be 
easily  explained.  One  was  to  set  four  posts  in  the  ground, 
about  ten  feet  apart,  and  of  about  the  same  height,  and  on 
the  top  of  these  to  pin  strong  joists  or  timbers,  the  whole 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINAKY  ORGANS,  ETC.    347 

then  being  covered  with  planks  or  boards,  so  as  to  form  a 
shelter  from  the  sun  and  rain.  The  posts,  well  braced  apart, 
served  an  excellent  purpose  for  a  sling,  substantially  the  same 
as  that  represented  by  the  illustration  given  in  Chapter  XXI. 
The  ropes  may  be  carried  over  the  side  pieces,  and  made  fast 
either  to  them  or  to  strong  pins  placed  on  the  outside  o^ 
them. 

But  a  quicker  way  of  raising  any  horse  to  his  feet,  and 
that  which  was  most  practiced  in  the  cases  under  considera- 
tion, consists  in  building  a  rail-pen  around  him.  For  this 
purpose,  all  that  is  needed,  beside  the  rails,  is  three  strong 
planks  and  five  or  six  men.  The  planks  should  be  not  less 
than  one  and  a  half  inches  in  thickness,  and  at  least  ten  feet 
long,  and  they  are  to  be  put  under  the  animal's  body  so  that 
they  shall  project  equally  on  each  side.  On  the'planks  should 
be  spread  first  some  hay  or  straw,  and  then  an  old  blanket  or 
quilt,  or  some  carpeting,  as  a  pad  for  the  body  to  rest  on. 
This  required  especial  care  in  colt-founder,  as  the  belly  was 
very  tender  and  sore.  When  this  has  been  done,  and  plenty 
of  rails  are  at  hand,  the  preparations  are  complete.  There 
should  now  be  one  man  for  each  plank,  another  to  handle  the 
rails,  and  two  to  stand  at  the  animal's  head  and  hold  him 
still  by  the  bridle.  Let  the  ends  of  the  planks  be  raised  on 
one  side,  and  a  rail  laid  under  them,  about  one  foot  from  the 
ends  of  the  planks,  the  rail  being  so  placed  that  they  shall 
be  about  the  middle  of  it.  Then  raise  the  other  ends  of  the 
planks  in  the  same  way.  End  rails  can  now  be  laid  on,  so 
as  to  be  ready  to  raise  the  planks  again.  In  this  way,  as  the 
pen  is  gradually  built  up,  the  horse  is  raised  along  with  it. 
When  part  way  up,  it  is  very  likely  that  he  may  struggle 
considerably,  the  position  in  that  stage  being  novel  and  some- 
what uncomfortable ;  but  he  must  be  held  by  the  bridle  as 
still  as  the  two  men  at  the  head  can  hold  him,  and  the  pen 
raised  to  its  proper  height  as  soon  as  possible.  This  height, 
of  course,  should  be  such  that  the  feet  will  touch  the  ground, 
and  may  be  rested  upon,  if  ihe  horse  is  disposed  to  do  so. 
The  rails  of  the  pen  must  be  carried  up  still  higher  in  front 


348  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

and  behind,  and  placed  close  to  the  hip  and  breast,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  animal  from  surging  back  and  forth  on  the 
planks.  Lastly,  heavy  pieces  of  timber  may  be  placed  on 
the  pen,  in  front  and  behind,  to  hold  it  firmly,  and  strong 
stakes  driven  down  at  each  corner  of  the  pen,  which,  by  these 
means,  will  be  so  well  secured  that  no  movement  will  be  pos- 
sible. The  horse  may  be  hitched  by  a  halter  to  a  post  in 
front,  and  some  planks  being  laid  on  the  rails  at  the  same 
place,  a  platform  will  be  formed  on  which  a  feeding-box  may 
be  placed. 

Such  a  piece  of  work  will  cost  the  owner  perhaps  ten  dol- 
lars, and  consume  one  day  of  his  time ;  but,  besides  saving 
the  horse's  life,  it  will  be  worth  fifty  dollars  in  the  practical 
experience  gained.  The  contrivance  may  be  applied  in  a 
variety  of  cases,  which  most  of  the  farmers  destitute  of  the 
enterprise  necessary  for  so  simple  a  task;,  would  give  up  as 
hopeless  from  the  outset.  In  cases  of  broken  legs,  for  ex- 
ample, it  can  hardly  fail  to  preserve  the  horse's  usefulness 
unimpaired. 

But  to  return  to  the  treatment  of  "  colt  founder,"  particu- 
larly. The  mare  having  been  raised  by  means  of  the  rail- 
pen,  a  good  shelter  should  be  fixed  over  her,  and  if  before 
foaling,  preparations  may  be  made  for  that  event.  In  a  ma- 
jority of  cases,  however,  such  extreme  weakness  does  not 
occur  until  after  the  birth  of  the  colt;  and  even  though  it 
should,  if  that  period  be  very  near,  it  may  be  best  to  defer 
raising  the  mare  until  after  foaling. 

There  being  no  longer  any  danger  in  regard  to  abortion, 
bleeding  may  be  resorted  to  without  fear,  to  abate  the  in- 
flammatfon.  The  food  should  be  very  light,  soft,  and  relax- 
ing. Green  grass  should  be  cut  and  placed  in  the  feeding- 
box,  and  quantities  of  sulphur  and  resin  should  be  given.  If 
there  is  great  costiveness,  so  that  the  dung  is  hard,  dry,  and 
black,  two  or  three  doses  of  "  jimson  "  seed  will  be  the  proper 
remedy.  On  no  account,  however,  is  this  to  be  given  until 
after  foaling,  as  its  use  before  that  tii^e  is  dangerous. 

If  the  animal  is  in  the  stable  instead  of  out  in  the  field, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     349 

all  the  operations  we  have  here  described  may  be  carried  out 
there. 

DISEASES    OF  YOUNG   COLTS. 

Perhaps  we  can  find  no  more  appropriate  connection  than 
this  in  which  to  consider  certain  diseases  that  sometimes 
attack  the  young  colt.  They  were  especially  prevalent  in 
the  stock-raising  districts  of  Tennessee  during  the  same 
period  that  colt  founder  was  so  common  there — from  1850 
to  1857.  In  these  cases,  the  colt,  sickening  in  a  few  days 
after  foaling,  was  apt  to  prove  but  a  short-liv6d  addition  to 
the  farmer's  stock.  The  mule  colt  shared  equally  with  the 
horse  colt  in  the  mortality. 

These  diseases  are  of  two  distinct  classes :  first,  those  of 
the  bowels,  which  include  both  costiveness  and  looseness ; 
second,  those  of  the  urinary  organs,  which  were  suppression, 
increased  flow,  and  bloody  urine.  Suppression  of  the  urine 
is  sometimes  caused  b}^  mechanical  obstructions,  as  will  be 
mentioned  when  we  speak  of  the  treatment;  but,  with  that 
rare  exception,  the  origin  of  all  these  troubles  may  be  traced 
to  the  condition  of  the  mother  at  the  time  of  foaling,  and, 
subsequently;  for  the  quality  of  the  milk  which  the  youngster 
begins  life  upon  is  to  him  a  matter  of  vital  consequence. 

We  have  before  noticed  the  highly  injurious  results  which 
follow  the  use  of  such  feed  as  the  unsound  corn  and  moldy 
fodder  that  constitute  a  great  part  of  the  diet  of  thousands 
of  horses  at  the  South.  It  is  a  matter  that  involves  the 
causes  of  big  head,  blind  staggers,  all  manner  of  digestive 
and  urinary  disturbances,  and  we  know  not  how  many  evils 
besides;  but  the  dire  category  would  be  singularly  incom- 
plete if  these  complaints  of  the  young  colt  were  left  out 
of  it. 

It  is  impossible  for  the  mother,  fed  on  such  substances,  not 
to  impart  her  unhealthy  condition  to  the  colt.  It  does  not 
always  follow,  however,  that  each  will  have  precisely  the 
same  disease  as  the  other,  and  much  less  in  the  same  degree. 
The  rule  can  scarcely  be  carried  further  than  that  if  the 


350  AMERICAN  FAEMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

mother  is  unhealthy,  the  offspring  will  he  unhealthy  also. 
Each  may  have  disorders  that  the  other  entirely  escapes. 

But  corn,  though  the  best  grown,  is  not  the  feed  for  a 
mare  suckling  a  young  colt.  It  is  too  strong  and  heating, 
and  forms  a  quality  of  food  not  suited  to  the  needs  of  the 
foal.  So,  although  the  mother  remains  in  scarcely  impaired 
health,  he  may  be  the  victim  of  obstinate  costiveness,  or  the 
most  troublesome  scours.  The  difficulty  would  have  no  ex- 
istence had  the  mare  been  fed  on  proper  diet,  and  judiciously 
cared  for  in  all  other  respects.  The  case  is  the  same  in  re- 
gard to  the  other  class  of  affections.  Although  the  urinary 
organs  of  the  mare  may  suffer  to  some  extent,  the  superior 
strength  of  her  system  enables  her  to  bear  up  against  the 
unhealthy  influence,  and  may  even  enable  her  to  throw  them 
off  almost  entirely ;  yet  the  tender  colt  succumbs  more  readily, 
and  suddenly  the  owner  discovers  that  the  young  animal  is 
very  ill,  and  suffering  acutely.  Stricture,  suppression,  diabetes, 
bloody  urine,  are  the  various  developments  of  disease  having 
one  uniform  origin. 

TREATMENT. 

The  treatment  will  prove  difficult,  as  it  is  very  dangerous 
to  give  medicine  to  the  young  colt,  and  he  may  be  seriously 
iiQared,  if  not  killed  outright,  by  injudicious  drenching.  In 
this  case,  all  the  medication  attempted  should  be  through  the 
milk  of  the  mother,  and  the  clyster  alone  given  the  colt.  If 
the  bowels  are  constipated,  an  aperient  given  the  mother 
will  affect  the  colt  nearly  as  quickly  as  it  does  her.  In  this 
case,  give  the  colt  a  clyster  of  salt  and  water,  as  warm  as  he 
can  bear  it,  with  a  small  quantity  of  aloes  added ;  or  some 
warm  soap-suds  may  be  used  for  the  same  purpose. 

In  "  scours,"  as  it  is  called,  neither  through  the  mother's 
milk  nor  to  the  colt  will  it  answer  to  give  much  astringent 
medicine.  A  little  of  the  blackberry-root  tea  may  be  ad- 
ministered to  the  mare. '  As  a  clyster  for  the  colt,  it  will  be 
best  to  use  fifty  drops  of  laudanum,  with  one- fourth  of  an 
ounce  of  Epsom  salts,  dissolved  in  water ;  or  a  little  salt  and 


DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER,  URINARY  ORGANS,  ETC.     351 

water,  cold,  with  a  slight  infusion  of  golden  seal,  and  a 
table-spoonfal  of  finelj-pulverized  charcoal.  If  an  astrin- 
gent medicine  be  given  the  colt,  some  mild  aperient  should 
accompany  it,  or  extreme  costiveness,  with  fever,  will  be  the 
result. 

The  urinary  difficulties  of  the  colt  are  not  so  readily  man- 
aged. When  there  is  suppression  of  the  urine,  examine  the 
parts  to  see  that  the  trouble  does  not  arise  from  mechanical 
causes.  In  a  few  cases,  the  outlet  at  the  end  of  the  penis 
will  be  found  sealed,  perhaps,  so  that  no  urine  can  possibly 
force  a  passage.  If  this  is  caused  by  a  scabby  incrustation, 
wash  off  the  part  thoroughly,  and  there  will  be  relief  at  once. 
If  there  appears  a  skinny  covering  over  the  outlet  of  the 
urethra,  cut  an  orifice  through  it  with  the  point  of  a  sharp 
knife.  Stricture  of  the  neck  of  the  bladder  from  inflamma- 
tion is  the  only  other  cause  of  suppressed  urine  that  can  be 
positively  indicated  in  regard  to  the  colt,  as  we  have  no 
knowledge  whether  his  kidneys  are  diseased  or  not.  In 
treating  this,  it  will  tend  to  relax  the  parts  to  apply  hot  salt 
and  water  to  the  outside,  and  to  inject  some  of  it  into  the 
rectum;  and,  at  the  same  time,  half  an  ounce  of  spirits  ^f 
niter  may  be  given  to  the  mother  each  day,  in  some  warm 
water. 

Bloody  urine  in  the  colt  we  have  found  to  prove  fatal, 
almost  invariably,  from  the  fever  and  inflammation  that  was 
set  up.  We  recommend  bathing  with  hot  salt  and  water ;  a 
clyster  of  the  same,  except  that  it  should  be  cold,  and  some 
spirits  of  niter  given  the  mother. 

Perhaps  all  these  cases  of  disease  might  be  remedied,  and 
generally  prevented,  by  proper  attention  to  diet  during  the 
time  that  the  mare  is  with  foal,  and  afterward  until  the 
period  of  weaning.  For  the  benefit  of  the  young  colt,  the 
food  of  the  mare  should  be  changed  at  once.  If  he  is  costive, 
give  her  relaxing  food,  such  as  bran — preferably,  rye  bran — 
or,  still  better,  green,  succulent  grass.  If  he  has  the  scours, 
feed  her  on  good  light  hay,  and  clean,  pure  oats.  Here,  as 
every-where  else,  the  ruTe  is,  a  dry  diet  for  scours,  and  a 


«. 


352  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

moist  one  for  costiveness.  Whether  for  derangement  of  the 
bowels  or  of  the  urinary  organs  in  the  colt,  give  as  much 
sulphur  and  resin  as  the  mare  will  eat.  In  cases  of  bloody 
urine,  if  the  colt  has  fever,  bleed- the  mare,  and  that  will  be 
equivalent  to  bleeding  the  foal. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC. 


353 


CHAPTER  XV. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC. 

The  accompanying  cut  is,  of  course,  imaginary,  but  it  ad- 
mirably conveys  to  the  mind,  through  the  eye,  the  general 
plan  of  the  circulation  as  it  exists  in  man  and  all  the  higher 
types  of  animals.  Both  the  general  and 
the  pulmonary  circulations  are  here  rep- 
resented. It  will  well  repay  the  reader 
not  thoroughly  familiar  with  at  least  the 
outlines  of  anatomy  and  physiology,  to 
turn  back  to  Chapter  II,  and  carefully  go 
over  the  sections  on  the  blood-vessels  and 
the  heart,  in  connection  with  this  illus- 
tration. By  this  means  he  may  perma- 
nently fix  in  his  memory  some  of  the  most 
important  facts  and  principles,  that  are 
taught  in  the  entire  range  of  the  two 
sciences  referred  to. 

PLAN  or  THE  CIBCTTLATIOV. 

The  arrows  indicate  the  direction  in  which  the  blood  flows  in  the  diflferent- 
vessels.  Those  of  the  latter,  which  convey  the  pure  or  arterialized  blood,  are 
indicated  by  the  absence  of  all  shading;  and  those  which  convey  impure  or 
venous  blood  are  represented  by  heavy  shading. 

A,  Capillaries  on  the  general  surface  in  all  parts  of  the  body,  forming  the  in- 
tricate net-work  of  minute  vessels  by  which  the  veins  and  arteries- 
are  connected. 

£,  One  of  the  vena  cavae,  which  are  the  two  great  veins  through  which  all  the 
venous  blood  in  the  body  is  finally  returned  to  the  right  auricle  of 
the  heart. 

(7,  The  right  auricle,  from  which  the  venous  blood  passes  into  the  right  ven- 
tricle. 

Df  The  right  ventricle,  from  which  the  venous  blood  passes  into  th«  pulmonary 
arien/. 

E,  The  pulmonary  artery,  which  carries  the  still  impure  or  venous  blood  tot 
the  lungs. 

Ff  The  capillaries  of  the  lungs,  spread  out  over  the  immense  extent  of  surface 

23 


354  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

afforded  by  the  air-cells.  In  these  the  blood  is  purified,  by  the  pro- 
cesses of  decarbonizaiion  and  oxygenizaiion.  They  unite  and  form  the 
pulmonary  veins,  one  of  which  is  indicated  in  the  cut,  near  the  up- 
permost of  the  downward-pointing  arrows,  but  is  not  lettered. 

Gj  The  left  auricle  of  the  heart,  which  receives  the  now  purified,  or  arterial- 
ixed,  blood  from  the  pulmonary  veins,  and  from  which  it  passes  to  the 
left  ventricle. 

JJ,  The  left  ventricle,  the  contraction  of  whose  powerful  walls  forces  the  blood 
out  through  the  aorta  and  the  successive  subdivisions  of  the  arteries 
to  all  parts  of  the  system. 

/,  The  aorta  posterior,  dividinj^  and  subdividing  into  smaller  arteries,  which 
finally  unite  with  the  capillaries  at  A,  where  begins  once  more  the 
venous  circulation.  The  aorta  posterior  is  the  great  artery  which 
supplies  the  abdomen  and  all  the  hrnd  extremities  with  blood.  The 
latter  is  now  freighted  with  nutrition  extracted  in  the  intestines 
from  the  food,  and  conveyed  into  the  general  circulation  through  the 
thoracic  duct  (not  shown  in  the  cut)  and  the  anterior  vena  cava. 

J^  The  trunk  of  the  aorta  anterior,  the  great  artery  which  supplies  the  con- 
tents of  the  thorax,  or  chest,  and  all  the  fore  extremities,  etc.,  with 
the  pure  and  nutriticJ^  blood.  It  ramifies  and  terminates  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  aorta  posterior. 

DISEASES   OF   THE   HEART. 

The  causes  and  symptoms  of  this  entire  class  of  diseases 
are  very  obscure.  Perhaps  hypertrophy,  or  enlargement  of 
the  heart,  is  the  most  common  affection-  A  Mr.  Thomson, 
of  Bath,  England,  several  years  ago,  contributed  to  veterinary 
science  the  history  of  a  singular  case,  in  which  the  heart  be- 
came *'a  large  disorganized  mass,  weighing  thirty-four 
pounds."  Other  cases  have  been  reported  much  nearer 
home ;  but  hardly  any  thiug  seems  to  be  known  respecting 
the  disease,  beyond  its  simple  existence.  Of  course  the  pro- 
cess of  growth  must  be  going  on  for  some  time  before  it  kills 
the  horse ;  yet  there  are  no  certain  means  by  which  the  exist- 
ence of  such  a  condition  can  be  detected.  If  the  action  of 
the  heart  be  seriously  obstructed,  the  animal  must  die  at 
once,  and  a  comparatively  slight  'derangement  would  occasion 
acute  suffering.  In  rnany,  or  perhaps  nearly  all,  cases  of 
death  from  this  disease,  the  heart  seems  to  have  performed 
its  usual  functions,  without  noticeable  disturbance,  up  to  the 
very  moment  of  its  entirely  ceasing  to  beat. 

In  regard  to  any  other  disease  of  the  heart,  we  must  con- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  355 

fess  entire  ignorance.  Among  the  hundreds  of  horses  that 
we  have  examined  and  dissected,  we  have  never  discovered 
any  preternatural  symptoms  in  the  tissues  of  that  organ.  It 
is  only  fair  to  say,  however,  that  these  examinations  were  di- 
rected to  some  other  end  than  critically  investigating  the  sub- 
ject of  heart  disease. 

Youatt  enumerates  eight  different  diseases  of  this  class,  and 
attempts  to  give  specific  symptoms  in  each  case.  But  we 
see  no  essential  differences  in  his  descriptions  of  them,  save 
merely  in  their  verbal  arrangement.  He  makes  no  pretensions 
to  giving  any  remedy  for  them.  Hardly  any  other  recognized 
authority  makes  any  mention  of  the  horse  suffering  from 
heart  disease. 

Although  it  is  quite  reasonable  to  suppose  that  so  vital  a 
part  of  the  animal's  organism  may  be  the  seat  of  various 
disorders,  it  will  be  of  no  consequence  to  the  farmer  to  spend 
much  time  in  considering  the  subject,  unless  some  remedy 
can  be  suggested ;  and  as  this  is  beyond  our  power,  we  may 
as  well  dismiss  the  whole  matter  and  pass  on  to  something 
else. 

THUMPS. 

This  is  a  not  uncommon  disease  in  many*sections,  having 
its  origin,  not  in  the  heart,  yet  very  near  it,  in  the  pulmonary 
artery,  (See  E,  in  preceding  cut.)  It  is  a  cartilaginous  en- 
largement of  the  walls  of  that  vessel,  so  that  the  channel  be- 
comes diminished  in  size,  and  can  not  pass  the  same  quantities 
of  blood  that  it  does  in  its  healthful  state.  When  it  is  con- 
sidered that  every  drop  of  blood  in  the  entire  circulation  is 
propelled  through  this  main  duct,  on  its  passage  from  the 
right  ventricle  of  the  heart  to  the  lungs,  there  to  be  arteri- 
al ized  or  purified,  it  becomes  apparent^  at  once,  that  any 
obstruction  of  the  pulmonary  artery  must  cause  serious  dis- 
turbance in  the  heart,  whose  contractions  are  the  power  that 
forces  the  blood  along  this  channel. 

The  pulmonary  artery,  like  every  other  in  the  body,  is 
composed  of  three  distinct  coatings — the  outer,  or  perito- 
neal; the  middle  or  muscular;  and  the  inner,  or  serous.     Its 


356  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

walls  are  very  elastic  and  flexible  when  in  their  natural  oi 
healthy  state,  and  expand,  to  some  extent,  at  every  pulsa- 
tion. But  it  so  happens  that  they  sometimes  become  grown 
together  and  hardened,  in  which  condition  they  do  not  ad- 
mit the  flow  of  blood  so  freely  as  before.  Ordinarily,  no 
•  •'  disturbance  is  noticeable  from  this  change  in  the  coatings 
of  the  artery.  The  duct  still  appears  to  be  sufficiently  large 
for  the  passage  of  the  blood,  until  the  horse  is  severely  exer- 
cised, or  otherwise  excited ;  and  then  the  blood  courses 
*  through  its  channels  with  such  increased  rapidity  that  the 
diminished  capacity  of  the  pulmonary  artery  is  found  to  be 
a  serious  trouble.  The  vessel  does  not  respond  to  the  grow- 
ing demands  upon  it  by  the  heart.  The  blood  now  begins 
to  accumulate  in  the  heart,  compelling  that  organ  to  put  on 
extra  labor  to  urge  it  forward  through  the  unyielding  artery ; 
and  this  labored  action  of  the  heart  often  becomes  so  great 
that  the  other  arterial  channels  sympathize  with  it,  and  a 
general  throbbing  of  the  internal  viscera  is  the  consequence. 
This  throbbing  may  be  plainly  seen  upon  the  sides  and  flanks, 
and  hence  the  appropriate,  though  homely,  name,  thumps. 
When  the  excitement  passes  off,  and  the  blood  becomes  cooled, 
and  the  system  tranquilized,  these  throbbings  subside  again. 

Thumps  affects  some  horses  much  more  than  it  does  others 
having  the  same  difficulty,  probably  from  the  pulmonary 
artery  being  more  constricted  in  such  cases.  Occasionally  it 
kills  the  horse.  The  whole  heart  sympathizes  with,  and  par- 
^  takes  of,  the  disease  of  the  artery,  and  inflammation  is  set 
up,  or  stricture  of  the  artery  takes  place.  In  the  latter  event, 
the  blood  is  suddenly  stopped,  and  the  horse  falls  down  dead. 

We  were  once  driving  a  very  large,  fleshy  mare,  in  a  buggy, 
upon  the  turnpike  leading  from  Pulaski  to  Columbia,  Ten- 
nessee. The  day  was  excessively  hot.  When  about  mid- 
way between  the  two  places  the  mare  had  an  extremely 
severe  attack  of  this  distressing  complaint.  So  violent  were 
the  thumpings,  that  it  seemed  as  if  her  very  sides  would  be 
torn  asunder.  We  were  compelled  not  only  to  stop  and  rest, 
but  to  unhitch  her  from  the  buggy.     Such  terrible  throb-  * 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEAET  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  357 

bings,  amounting  almost  to  convalsions  of  the  sides,  we  never 
saw  elsewhere.  Prospects  were  very  fair  for  staying  there 
the  remainder  of  the  day,  until  a  fortunate  idea  suggested 
the  simple  but  admirable  remedy  which  will  presently  be 
prescribed  under  the  head  of  Treatment.  Eight  quarts  of 
water,  from  one  of  the  many  cold  lime-stone  springs  of  this 
region,  with  a  handful  of  salt  stirred  in,  were  given  her,  and 
greedily  drunk.  In  thirty  minutes  all  was  as  tranquil  with 
the  animal  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  and  we  went  slowly 
on  our  way  rejoicing. 

In  about  a  year  from  that  time,  this  mare  died  very  sud- 
denly, as  we  afterward  learned,  undoubtedly  from  the  dis- 
eased condition  of  the  pulmonary  artery.  She  had  been 
subject  to  these  spells  of  thumps  for  a  number  of  years 
previous.  | 

TREATMENT.     [ 

The  treatment  can  not  be  expectea  to  prove  really  cura- 
tive ;  the  changed  structure  of  the  atterial  walls  can  not  be 
corrected  by  the  skill  of  man;  but  relief  may  readily  be 
given  in  an  attack  of  thumps.  Bleeding  will  accomplish  this 
almost  instantly,  by  lessening  the  flow  of  the  blood ;  but  it 
must  be  an  extreme  case,  indeed,  in  which  this  can  become 
necessary.     It  is  to  be  tried  only  as  a  last  resort. 

Any  thing  given  the  horse  to  cool  his  blood  will  cause  the 
thumps  to  subside.  Ice- water,  with  a  little  salt  in  it,  just 
enough  to  make  it  palatable,  as  well  as  to  prevent  it  from 
bringing  on  an  attack  of  colic,  will  give  relief  in  a  few  min- 
utes. This  is  recommended  as  the  best  and  safest  treatment. 
It  is  astonishing  with  what  avidity  a  horse  in  this  condition 
will  drink  the  cold  water,  and  that,  too,  with  a  pretty  good 
sprinkling  of  salt  in  it.  All  that  he  will  swallow  can  do  him 
no  harm.  If  the  ice- water  can  not  be  procured,  the  coldest 
water  that  can  be  will  answer  very  well.  The  cessation  of 
the  thumpings  is  only  a  question  of  time,  in  nearly  all  cases, 
and  sometimes  an  hour  or  two  of  rest  in  the  shade  will  set 
every  thing  to  rights  again. 

Blue  stone,  dissolved  in  spirits,  has  often  not  merely  given 


358  *       AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

relief  from  a  severe  attack,  but  has  seemed  to  abate  the 
symptoms  of  the  disease  for  a  considerable  time  afterward. 
The -best  prescription  of  this  sort  is  the  following:  Two 
ounces  of  blue  stone,  the  same  of  asafoetida,  and  the  same  of 
"jimson"  seed — all  to  be  pulverized,  and  then  put  into  one 
pint  of  good  spirits.  Divide  this  into  six  doses,  and  give  one 
each  day  in  a  pint  of  warm  water. 

We  have  seen  hundreds  of  cases  of  thumps  at  the  South, 
and  have  treated  a  considerable  number.  We  have  bled  in 
some  instances,  but  of  these  cases  only  two  or  three  do  we 
now  think  needed  bleeding.  *     , 

SCROFULA. 

Before  passing  on  to  an  examination  of  the  causes  and 
phenomena  of  fever,  or  inflammation  of  the  blood,  we  wish 
to  consider  briefly  the  question  whether  the  horse  is  a  scrof- 
ulous animal. 

We  know  that  the  body  of  the  hog  is  filled  with  scrofulous 
ulcers.  They  are  found  in  his  liver,  lungs,  mesentery,  pan- 
creas, diaphragm,  intestines,  and  pleura ;  on  the  heart,  also, 
and  on  the  walls  of  •the  ribs,  the  fat  on  the  sides,  and  even 
on  the  legs.  No  hog,  probably,  lives  or  dies  without  having 
scrofulous  ulcers  and  tubercles  in  some  of  these  organs.  Cat- 
tle are  similarly  affected,  though  in  a  much  less  degree. 
Tubercles  have  been  found  in  both  the  liver  and  lungs  of 
the  kiue.  Sheep  are  scrofulous,  and  decidedly  more  so  than 
cattle.  Of  other  animals,  we  have  no  positive  knowledge, 
but  there  are  indications  which  lead  us  to  believe  that  many 
of  them,  at  least,  have  been  made  subject  to  the  same  taint. 
Is  the  horse  a  scrofulous  animal?  We  believe  that  he  is. 
What  mean  those  ulcers  on  the  liver,  those  tubercles  in  the 
lungs,  those  tumors  in  the  glands,  if  such  is  not  the  case? 

In  hogs,  sheep,  cattle,  and  horses  tubercles  and  ulcers  oc- 
cur in  precisely  the  same  localities  as  those  which  exhibit 
scrofulous  ulcers  in  the  human  being.  The  lungs  and  the 
glands  of  all  these  are  found,  on  examination,  to  have  the 
same  structure  and  functions.     The  affections  of  the  class  we 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  .359 

are  considering  appear  the  same  in  all  of  them,  heing  erup- 
tive in  the  glands,  consumptive  in  the  lungs,  and  ulcerous  in 
the  liver  and  bowels. 

"  Man  hath  no  preeminence  over  a  beast ;  as  the  one  dieth, 
so  dieth  the  other."  May  not  this  have  reference,  not  merely 
to  the  manner,  but  to  a  universal  cause  of  death — something 
to  which  all  flesh  and  blood  are  subject  ?  We  are  well  aware 
that  this  is  delicate  ground  for  the  pathologist,  yet  have  long 
entertained  the  opinion  that  the  whole  animal  creation  was, 
to  some  extent,  affected  with  the  virus  of  scrofula,  insidiously 
diffusing  its  poison  and  scattering  the  seeds  of  disease  uni- 
versally. The  horse  we  believe  to  present  indications  of  a 
decidedly  scrofulous  characber;  hence  the  benefit  of  altera- 
tives, by  which,  in  connection  with  bleeding  when  the  symp- 
toms warrant  it,  the  blood  may  be  purified,  its  subtle  poisons 
neutralized  or  destroyed,  and  its  qualities  changed,  so  as  to 
make  it  fit  for  the  support  of  a  healthy  and  vigorous  life. 

We  have  often  recommended  to  the  reader's  favor  the 
"jimson"  seed  of  the  farmer,  the  datura  stramonii  of  the 
schools,  and  here  desire  to  repeat  the  statement  that,  in  our 
judgment,  no  other  alterative  which  the  veterinarian  can 
give  will  produce  equally  beneficial  results.  It  is  invaluable 
in  farcy,  distemper,  hide-bound,  mange,  surfeit,  stiff  com- 
plaint, big  head,  and  numerous  other  diseases.  It  greatly 
assists  the  digestive  process,  changes  the  character  of  all  the 
secretionsy  eliminates  the  offensive  matter  from  them,  and 
gives  tone  to  the  entire  system.  The  dose  is  one  table-spoon- 
ful, or  half  an  ounce  of  seed,  given  every  other  day,  in  the 
horse's  feed. 


The  blood  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  the  seat  or  fountain  of 
disease ;  yet  there  is  hardly  an  ill  to  which  horse-flesh  is  sub- 
ject that  does  not  affect  it  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  It  is 
itself  first  filled  with  the  virus  of  disease,  which  it  then  car- 
ries to  all  parts  of  the  frame. 

Fever  is  an  inflamed  condition  of  the  blood,  which  has  be- 


360  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

come  overheated  by  local  or  general  irritation  in  the  system. 
Some  part  is  cut,  bruised,  or  injured  in  some  way;  some  lesion 
of  muscles,  tendon,  or  membrane  has  taken  place;  some 
bone  is  broken  or  nerve  impaired;  some  dreadful  exposure 
to  cold  has  made  the  whole  body  sore;  in  some  way,  and 
from  some  cause  or  other,  a  certain  organ  or  part  has  re- 
ceived injury,  so  that  it  is  weaker,  more  frail  than  the  others. 
It  suffers  increasingly  from  this  injury,  and  becomes  more 
sore ;  irritation  and  heat  are  here  augmented,  and  fever  arises. 
The  most  familiar  sources  of  heat  are  combustion  and  fric- 
tion. Animal  heat  is  principally  evolved  by  a  process  essen- 
tially the  same  as  the  former,  while  it  is  the  latter  which 
generates  fever.  Fever  heat  is  the  result  of  the  friction  of 
the  blood,  surcharged  with  the  heat  fcpm  the  injured  and, 
presently,  inflamed  part.  It  is  not  that  the  blood  heats  the 
part,  or  even  itself,  but  that  the  inflamed  and  heated  part 
heats  and  inflames  the  blood. 

It  is  a  principle  laid  down  in  Chapter  I  of  this  work, 
among  the  important  facts  to  be  remembered  in  treating  dis- 
eases of  the  horse,  that  nearly  all  disorders  of  both  man  and 
beast,  whatever  may  have  been  the  primary  or  external 
causes,  proceed  from  obstruction  and  derangement  of  the  cir- 
culatory and  secretive  functions.  Such  obstructions  are  nearly 
or  quite  always  caused  by  injuries  of  some  kind.  These  may 
be  local  or  general,  but  wherever  they  produce  obstruction, 
there  will  heat  and  fever  be  found. 

The  shoulder  is  sprained  or  bruised,  and  a  tumor  arises, 
marked,  by  swelling  and  great  heat.  From  whence  comes 
this  increased  amount  of  heat?  Certainly  not  from  the  blood. 
Had  not  the  part  been  injured,  the  blood  would  have  kept 
on  flowing,  as  it  had  been  doing  from  the  moment  of  birth, 
without  the  development  of  any  extra  heat.  This  must 
clearly  have  its  origin  in  the  obstruction.  Some  of  the 
blood-vessels  and  many  of  the  little  capillaries  have  been  in- 
jured, or  perhaps  even  broken,  and  their  contents  are  now 
discharged  into  the  surrounding  tissues.  Here  begins  ob- 
struction, interruption  of  the  circulation. 


I 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  361 

If  any  one  asks,  But  what  causes  the  heat?  we  answer, 
friction  of  the  circulation  in  the  injured  part.  The  flesh  has 
been  crushed  and  mangled,  and,  when  Nature  endeavors  to 
force  the  current  of  circulation  through  these  disjointed, 
broken  channels,  there  is  an  extra  amount  of  friction,  and 
extra  heat  is  the  result.  Even  the  flow  of  water  through  a 
pipe  abounding  with  angles  is  attended  by  an  appreciable 
rise  m  its  temperature.  In  the  animal  system  not  only  are 
analogous  causes  now  in  operation,  but  there  is  increased  mus- 
cular contraction  to  overcome  these  impediments  to  circula- 
tion, and  muscular  exertion  is  always  accompanied  by  the 
evolution  of  heat. 

If  the  circulation  could  be  either  suspended  or  carried  for- 
ward regularly,  there  would  be  pain,  but  no  extra  heat.,  t 
"When  a  little  abnormal  heat  is  generated,  its  influence  upon  ♦* 
the  neighboring  secretions  and  circulation  is  lite  the  burning  ^ 
of  the  wick  in  the  lamp.  In  accordance  with  the  same  phys- 
ical law  by  which  the  oil  rushes  to  the  consuming  flame  do 
the  blood  and  watery  secretions  move  toward  the  injured, 
heated  part;  and,  as  the  tendency  of  the  flame  is  to  ignite 
all  the  combustible  material  surrounding  it,  and  would  do  so 
unless  prevented,  so  the  heat  of  the  injured  part  spreads  and 
increases  until  th6  whole  system  is  involved  and  on  fire  with 
fever  heat.  It  is  like  the  burning  of  dry  wood — a  little  flame 
and  a  little  heat  at  first,  but  how  soon  is  the  whole  pile  on 
fire! — a  small  beginning,  a  little  heat  in  the  injured  parts 
at  first,  but  how  soon  it  spreads  through  every  portion  of  the 
frame ! 

This  we  believe  to  be  the  true  theory  of  fever.  The  blood 
is  not  the  generator  of  heat,  but  simply  the  conductor  of  it 
from  the  burning  fountain  at  the  injured  spot  to  all  other  re- 
gions through  which  the  blood  ramifies. 

jN"ow,  what  are  the  plain,  logical  inferences  from  all  this? 
Two  principal  ones  are  all,  perhaps,  that  practically  concern 
the  farmer.  The  first  is,  to  prevent  the  fire  from  burning  at  all, 
if  this  be  possible;  to  allow  it  no  start  whatever;  to  protect 
the  house  from  sparks  and  fire-brands.     Let  there  be  no  oc- 


• 


i 


362  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

casion,  which  prudence  and  foresight  can  guard  against,  for 
fever  and  heat  to  arise.  Adopt  for  the  habitual  rule  of  ac- 
tion the  old  and  homely,  yet  most  excellent  adage,  that  "  an 
ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of  cure ."  Forestall 
disease,  and  no  encounter  with  it  need  be  anticipated.  In 
this  department  there  is  great  room  for  improvement  on  the 
part  of  our  farmers.  It  should  receive  a  greater  share  of 
thought  and  investigation.  Its -intelligent  study,  and  a  uni- 
form practice  in  harmony  with  its  laws,  would  well  repay 
every  man  who  has  any  thing  at  all  to  do  with  the  care  of 
stock. 

If  the  minds  of  those  having  the  charge  of  horses  could 
be  aroused  to  the  fact  that  three-fourths  of  the  ills  which 
befall  overworked  and  ill-treated  horse-flesh  in  civilized  com- 
munities was  due  to  neglect  and  mismanagement — to  expos- 
ures, deprivations,  and  abuses — what  a  vast  aggregate  of 
suftering  might  be  prevented,  and  how  great  pecuniary  ad- 
vantages might  be  secured!  Our  farmers  should  be  reading 
men,  thinking  men — men  of  intelligence  and  broad  culture. 
They  should  be  reformers  of  abuses  and  instructors  of  igno- 
rance ;  and  even  if  they  were  men  of  science  it  would  not  do 
them  a  grain  of  harm.  They  should  seek  to  learn  the  best 
systems  of  management,  and  practice  those  only.  They 
should  study  the  laws  of  health  ami  every  thing  pertaining 
to  the  sanitary  condition  of  their  noble  servant,  the  horse, 
and  make  their  treatment  of  him  conform  to  the  knowledge 
thus  acquired.  When  this  becomes  the  case  generally,  in- 
stead of  exceptionally,  as  at  present,  the  horse  will  be  freed 
from  disease  to  an  extent  'that  probably  few  would  now 
deem  credible. 

That  man  who  is  ignorant  of  the  physiological  require- 
ments of  his  horse,  and  of  the  pathology  and  treatment  of 
the  animal's  diseases,  is  to  be  pitied  when  his  horse  is  taken 
i  ill.     He  is  in  the  predicament  of  a  man  whose  house  is  on 

fire,  and  he  trying  to  put  out  the  flames.  Poor  fellow !  his 
is  a  diflScult  task.  Better,  a  thousand  times  better,  that  he 
had  never  allowed  the  fire  to  get  under  way  at  all^iad  pre- 


DISEASES  GF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  36^ 


vented  it  altogether.  How  many  a  farmer  and  horseman 
there  is  in  the  land  who  never  knows  when  his  horse  is  on 
fire  with  fever  and  disease  until  the  case  becomes  utterly  des- 
perate, if  not  hopeless,  and  who  has  not  the  remotest  idea  of 
how  to  manage  to  prevent  the  attacks  of  disease  which  are 
always  lying  in  wait  to  avenge  any  enforced  violation  of 
!N"ature's  laws  by  his  poor,  dumb  servitor.  When  the  horse 
of  such  a  man  is  taken  ill,  the  symptoms  of  the  case  are 
pretty  sure  t(^  argue  to  the  better-informed  observer  careless- 
ness and  neglect,  if  not  downright  cruelty,  on  the  part  of 
the  owners. 

The  second  inference  to  be  drawn  from  the  facts  laid  down 
in  expounding  what  we  consider  the  true  theory  of  fever  is, 
that  if  disease  should  make  its  appearance,  it  should  be  at- 
tacked at  once,  and  vigorously.  No  time  ought  to  be  lost. 
The  first  stages — the  development  of  the  earliest  symptoms — 
indicates  the  period  for  beginning  energetic  and  intelligent 
treatment.  As  in  the  case  of  the  fire,  so  it  is  here — a  little 
blaze  may  be  put  out  with  trifling  exertion,  but  if  this  be 
neglected,  a  conflagration  may  ensue  beyond  the  power  of 
hundreds  to  arrest.  Thousands  of  horses — and,  for  that 
matter,  thousands  of  people — die  yearly  that  might  be  saved 
if  treatment  was  soon  enough  begun. 

TREATMENT. 

The  successful  treatment  of  fever  embraces  three  distinct 
considerations — the  organ  or  part  diseased ;  the  blood,  which 
spreads  universally  the  influences  arising  in  the  diseased 
part;  and  the  capillaries  and  pores.  From  the  first  of  these 
it  is  our  opinion  that  all  fever  proceeds.  We  may  not  always 
be  able  to  find  the  aflected  organ;  but  it  exists,  and  upon 
our  success  in  finding  it  greatly  depends  our  chances  for 
curing  the  fever.  For  the  many  failures  to  cure  fever  two 
principal  causes  may  be  assigned ;  namely,  ignorance  in  re- 
spect to  the  primary  location  of  the  disease — the  part  where 
the  prevailing  fever  and  heat  have  their  origin — and  igno- 
rance of  the  proper  remedy  after  the  nature  of  the  disorder 


364  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK     • 

is  fully  understood.  Oftener  than  otherwise,  the  trouble  lies 
in  the  former. 

An  effort  to  free  the  blood  from  fever,  while  there  is  a 
fountain  somewhere  in  the  system  pouring  out  its  influences 
of  heat  and  inflammation,  will  prove  fruitless  in  the  end. 
All  sych  treatment  must  necessarily  fail;  the  fountain  must 
be  dried  up,  or  the  stream  will  continue  still  to  flow.  We 
may  ameliorate  symptoms,  but  until  the  cause  of  disease  is 
discovered  and  renloved,  there  can  be  no  permanent  cure. 

We  have,  therefore,  no  specific  treatment  for  fever,  nor 
any  directions,  save  those  which  are  given  in  connection 
with  the  disease  of  which  the  fever  is  the  symptom  and  de- 
velopment. In  general  terms,  alteratives  are  of  great  benefit 
as  both  preventive  and.  corrective  of  a  diseased  condition  of 
the  blood.  Some  of  them  accomplish  wonders  in  aiding  the 
vital  forces  to  resume  their  full,  free,  and  healthy  action. 
INText  to  the  "jimson  seed" — even  better  than  that  in  some 
diseases — we  must  give  the  highest  excellence  among  all  al- 
teratives to  the  sulphur  and  resin  compound,  so  often  pre- 
scribed in  the  preceding  pages  of  our  work.  It  acts  some- 
what slowly,  but  always  surely,  and  can  do  no  harm,  no 
matter  in  what  quantities  the  horse  will  eat  it. 

But  it  often  occurs  that  the  horse's  blood  is  in  such  a  state, 
and  the  whole  system  of  absorbents  rendered  so  inactive,  that 
alteratives  can  not  be  thrown  into  the  circulation  with  suffi- 
cient rapidity  to  produce  the  desired  effects;  and  here  fre- 
quently arises  the  necessUy  for  bleeding.  Before  considering 
this  subject,  however,  let  us  inquire  what  changes  disease 
may  work  in  the  blood,  and  what  that  state  of  the  blood  is 
in  which  bleeding  becomes  proper. 

THICK   BLOOD. 

This  is  a  condition  of  the  blood  often  found  in  venesec- 
tion. The  blood  is  so  thick  that  it  scarcely  runs  at  all  for 
some  time,  though  the  large  vein  of  the  neck — the  jugular — 
hsL^  been  opened  with  a  broad-shouldered  fleam  or  a  large 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEAET  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  365 


lancet,  and  the  neck  has  been  corded.  Such  a  thickening 
of  the  blood  is  due  to  the  influence  of  fever.  It  has  be- 
come sticky;  it  moves  sluggishly  in  the  veins,  and  is  no 
longer  the  life-sustaining,  strength-giving  fluid  that  ]N"ature 
designed  it  to  be. 

Such  blood  is  very  dark  in  color.  In  those  diseases  that 
involve  the  general  system,  it  is  astonishing  how  thick  and 
dark  the  blood  becomes.  In  cases  of  big  head,  for  example, 
we  have  often  found  the  blood  of  a  tinge  even  deeper  than 
a  dark  brown — ^in  fact,  almost  black. 

This  condition  of  the  blood  is  attributable  to  fever,  and  is 
always  a  feature  in  fistula,  distemper,  glanders,  farcy,  chronic 
founder,  hide-bound,  mange,  and  in  some  of  the  diseases  of 
the  lungs.  Its  existence,  with  very  rare  exceptions,  is  indic- 
ative of  the  propriety  of  bleeding,  and  generally  of  its  absolute 
necessity. 

THIN  BLOOD. 

There  are  some  diseases,  producing  little  or  no  fever,  that 
have  a  tendency  to  make  the  blood  too  thin  and  watery. 
Such  are  the  "  scours "  that  affect  ijiany  horses,  diarrhea  or 
dysentery,  and  other  diseases  that  waste  away  the  body  by 
continued  defluxions.  Affections  of  the  urinary  organs  be- 
long to  this  class.  Consumption,  also,  disorganizes  the  blood, 
making  it  thin  and  light. 

The  blood,  as  was  explained  in  Chapter  II,  is  made  up 
of  coagulum,  or  clot,  and  serum,  or  watery  fluid.  In  disorders 
of  the  kind  we  are  now  considering  there  is  a  deficiency  of 
coagulum,  which  is  the  component  that  gives  the  blood  its  red 
color;  and,  from  the  excess  of  the  thin,  colorless  serum,  the 
blood  becomes  pale  and  watery.  In  such  cases,  the  horse, 
instead  of  being  bled,  needs  the  most  generous  diet  and  treat- 
ment, in  order  that  more  and  richer  blood  may  be  made  and 
thrown  into  the  feeble  circulation. 

BLEEDING. 

Physicians,  in  treating  the  human  subject,  have  almost 
dispensed  with  phlebotomy  as  unnecessary,  and  tending  to 


366  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

deplete  the  system  and  weaken  the  vital  energies.  We  do 
not  care  to  dispute  the  correctness  of  their  practice  in  this 
regard,  but  when  the  same  theory  Is  advanced  in  respect  to 
the  horse,  we  know  that  it  is  not  applicable.  A  few  pseudo- 
veterinarians  have  advocated  it,  we  are  well  aware,  and  they 
have  poured  forth  unnumbered  vials  of  wrath,  and  subjected 
the  people's  English  to  no  one  knows  what  torture,  in  their 
denunciations  of  the  "  vile  practice  "  of  bleeding,  as  they  are 
pleased  to  characterize  it.  One  *'  modern  horse  doctor,"  iu 
particular,  claiming  the  benefits  of  an  experience  of  nine 
years'  practice  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  informs  us  that 
"the  disease  can,  if  curable,  be  cured  without  abstracting 
blood.  In  every  disease  where  bleeding  has  been  resorted 
to,  complete  recovery  has  been  protracted,  and  the  animal 
manifested  the  debility  by  swollen  legs  and  other  unmistak- 
able evidences  of  derangement."  His  other  argument  is, 
"Because  the  letting  of  blood  impoverishes  that  which  re- 
mains, and  leads  to  other  equally  dangerous  diseases  as  the 
one  it  was  intended  to  cure." 

Now,  all  this  is  simply  not  so  in  relation  to  the  horse ;  and, 
in  passing  to  its  examination,  we  can  not  help  remarking 
how  little  support  this  writer's  theory  is  likely  to  derive  from 
his  own  experiences  as  recorded  by  himself  in  the  same 
volume.  We  believe  that  he  has  not  told  us  of  a  single 
cure  that  he  has  effected.  He  went  to  see  several  bad  cases, 
it  is  true,  but  these  all  died;  and  as  for  the  others,  one  can 
hardly  help  being  led  to  believe  that  they  died  also,  or  else 
that,  if  they  got  well,  they  would  have  done  so  just  as  soon 
without  his  assistance.  His  work  either  entirely  ignores 
or  contains  gross  inaccuracies  concerning  some  of  the  most 
dreadful  maladies  to  which  the  horse  is  subject.  While  some 
diseases,  and  they  among  the  worst  known,  he  barely  men- 
tions, for  others  he  has  prescribed  as  man^^  as  twenty-two 
or  even  twenty-eight  different  ingredients  in  compounding 
a  remedy.  Some  of  his  preparations  it  requires  fourteen  or 
fifteen  days  to  make  ready  for  use ! 

With  our  own  hands  we  have  bled  five  hundred  horses  and 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  367 

mules,  and  in  no  case  found  any  of  the  evil  consequences  to 
follow  that  are  indicated  in  the  quotations  above  given. 
Thousands  of  animals  have  been  bled  for  big  head  alone,  to 
our  certain  knowledge;  and  we  know  that  neither  the  '^mod- 
ern horse  doctor"  nor  any  one  else  can  cure  that  disease 
without  a  resort  to  the  ^'•vile  practice."  There  are  other 
complaints  in  whose  treatment  it  is  equally  indispensable. 

Bleeding,  if  judiciously .  performed,  does  not  necessarily 
^'  impoverish  the  remaining  blood."  In  nearly  all  cases  where 
bleeding  is  proper,  the  blood  is  already  impoverished  by  dis- 
ease, and,  if  it  were  not  so,  the  horse  would  be  well.  It  is 
thick,  dark,  and  greatly  deficient  in  the  nutrition  which  the 
system  requires  for*  its  support  and  growth.  To  say  that 
the  horse  would  be  better  oflF  without  any  of  it  in  his  veins 
would  be  pushing  the  argument  to  an  absurd  e-xtreme ;  but 
the  statement  is  within  perfectly  reasonable  bounds  that  it 
has  become  only  the  vehicle  of  disease  and  deterioration  to 
the  different  tissues  of  the  body.  * 

But  this  is  not  the  only  or  the  chief  difficulty.  The  capil- 
laries— those  little  channels  which  ultimately  ponvey  the  nu- 
trition imparted  by  the  food  to  the  entire  organism  of  the 
body — ^have  become  obstructed,  and  perhaps  closed,  by  this 
very  same  condition  of  the  blood;  and  muscles,  tendons, 
membranes,  bones,  skin — all  parts  of  the  frame,  in  fact — are 
suffering  and  wasting  away.  There  must  be  a  removal  of 
the  cause  if  the  results  would  be  altered.  The  blood  must 
be  changed  and  purified ;  new  and  better  blood  must  be  sub- 
stituted for  that  which  is  impure  and  impoverishing. 

How  is  the  blood  to  be  operated  upon  when  it  is  in  this 
state  ?  Whatever  is  done  now  must  be  done  quickly.  The 
whole  system  is  fearfully  disturbed,  and,  unless  the  natural 
functions  are  restored  to  their  healthful  action  speedily,  the 
animal  must  die.  Will  medication  do  this?  Rarely,  indeed. 
The  medicine  may  distend  the  stomach  to  its  utmost  capacity, 
and  the  blood  scarcely  be  influenced  by  it.  In  this  condition 
of  the  blood,  communication  with  the  alimentary  canal, 
whence  it  receives  all  its  supplies,  is  closed  to  an  alarming 


368  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

extent,  so  that  neither  food  nor  medicine  is  taken  up  by  the 
lacteal  absorbents  in  nearly  the  quantities  that  they  would 
be  if  the  body  was  in  health. 

It  is  folly,  then,  to  lay  such  stress  on  that  flimsy  web  of 
argument,  the  impoverishment  of  the  blood  by  bleeding. 
The  blood  is  already  impoverished,  disorganizing,  decaying, 
and  the  sooner  it  can  be  replaced  by  what  is  new  and  health- 
ful the  better. 

This  leads  us  to  another  and  very  important  consideration ; 
namely,  the  certainty  and  swiftness  with  which  bleeding  re- 
laxes the  system — in  numerous  cases  doing  at  once  what 
medicines  will  not  do  in  time  to  save  life.  As  consequences 
of  this  relaxation,  the  absorbents  of  the  bowels  are  opened, 
and  the  secretions  throughout  the  body  are  eliminated  more 
nearly  as  in  health. 

In  respect  to  bleeding,  it  will  not  do  to  consider  the  case 
of  the  horse  exactly  analogous  to  that  of  the  human  being. 
Although  the  physical  organisms  of  man  and  of  the  horse 
are  so  much  alike,  there  exist  some  marked  diversities  when 
we  come  to  the  minute  applications  of  hygienic  laws.  All 
medicines  do  not  have  precisely  the  same  effect  upon  both 
of  them.  Some  which  act  with  great  severity  upon  the  horse 
are  almost  inert  upon  the  human  subject ;  while  others  that 
are  poisonous  to  the  latter  are  mild  and  gentle,  or  quite  in- 
operative, when  given  to  the  horse.  Our  liniments  are  ex- 
amples of  the  first.  They  produce  comparatively  little  effect 
upon  the  skin  of  the  person  handling  them,  while  they  act 
most  powerfully  upon  that  of  the  horse.  Of  the  second  class, 
the  datura  stramonii  is  a  remarkable  specimen.  Although  it 
is  a  rank  poison  to  man,  a  gallon  of  it  would  not  hurt  the  horse. 
"We  have  known  him  to  almost  live  on  it  for  two  months,  in 
that  time  eating  bushels  of  the  leaves  and  buds. 

Not  a  few  cases  of  bleeding  have  we  witnessed  in  our  time 
from  the  human  subject,  but  have  never  known  such  blood 
to  be  drawn  as  we  have  seen  flowing  from  the  jugular  vein  of 
the  horse — thick,  sticky,  and  almost  black.  From  him  we 
have  abstracted,  we  might  almost  say,  hogsheads  of  blood, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEAKT  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  369 

and  rarely,  indeed,  without  witnessing  marked  and  speedy        ^ 
improvement  afterward.     The  object  of  bleeding  is  to  relieve        ^ 
the  circulation  of  impure,  diseased  blood,  and  to  relax  the     ^ 
system  generally;  and,  in  this  condition,  medicines  may  be 
administered  to  some  purpose.     Its  tendency  is  not  to  debili- 
tate in  those  cases  where  the  horse's  system  is  already  pros- 
trated, or  greatly  deranged  by  disease  of  such  character  as  to    * 
render  bleeding  proper.    For  example,  we  have  taken  a  horse 
with  big  head,  time  and  again,  when  he  was  so  stiff  and 
weak  that  he  could  not  get  up.  without  help,  and,  in  a  very 
few  days  after  bleeding,  have  seen  him  rise  to  his  feet  by 
his  own  strength,  and  continue  to  grow  stronger  and  stronger 
until  quite  well. 

Some  persons  have  a  zeal  without  knowledge,  and,  in  their 
haste  to  assume  the  character  of  reformers,  do  not  stop  to 
weigh  facts  with  due  care,  or  to  test  new  theories  by  actual 
experience.  We  are  as  much  in  favor  of  improvement  as 
any  one  else,  but  we  want  it  to  be  in  the  right  direction,  i^o 
arbitrary  views  should  be  clung  to  in  the  face  of  an  over- 
whelming array  of  facts  upon  the  other  side  of  the  question, 
simply  because  they  constitute  the  distinctive  policy  of  one's 
self  or  of  any  other  person  whatsoever.  We  would  gladly 
dispense  with  the  trouble  of  bleeding,  if  it  were  not  necessary 
for  the  cure  of  the  diseased  horse.  The  system  of  blood- 
letting was  undoubtedly  abused  in  former  times,  but  that  is 
no  argument  against  its  practice  on  the  proper  occasions.  -      ;^ 

Those  occasions  are  not  seldom,  or  difficult  to  distinguish. 
Many  of  the  horse's  diseases  it  is  impossible  to  reach  effect- 
ively in  any  olher  way. 

Our  views  upon  this  point  are  in  harmony  with  those  of 
the  best  talent  whom  this  subject  has  ever  engaged.  We 
are  in  excellent  company  in  this  respect,  in  support  of  which  •    jT 

position  let  us  quote  the  opinion  of  that  unsurpassed  au- 
thority in  veterinary  science,  William  Youatt,  than  whose 
judgment,  in  this  important  matter,  no  man's  is  worth 
more : 

"  If  inflammation  consists  of  an  increased  flow  of  blood  to 
24 


0 


.     * 


370  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

and  through  the  part,  the  ready  way  to  abate  it  is  to  lessen 
the  quantity  of  blood.  If  we  take  away  the  fuel,  the  fire 
will  go  out.  All  other  means  are  comparatively  unimportant, 
contrasted  with  bleeding.  *  *  *  It  is  a  principle  in  the^ 
animal  frame  which  should  never  be  lost  sight  of  by  the  vet- 
erinary surgeon  or  the  horseman,  that  if  by  bleeding  the 
process  of  inflammation  can  once  be  checked — if  it  can  be 
suspended  but  for  a  little  while — although  it  may  return,  it 
is  never  with  the  same  degree  of  violence,  and,  in  many 
cases,  it  is  got  rid  of  entirely.  Hence  the  necessity  of  bleed- 
ing early,  and  bleeding  largely,  in  inflammation  of  the  lungs, 
or  of  the  bowels,  or  of  the  brain,  or  of  any  important  organ. 
Many  horses  are  lost  for  want  or  insufliciency  of  bleeding ; 
but  we  never  knew  one  materially  injured  by  the  most  copious 
extraction  of  blood  in  the  early  stage  of  acute  inflammation. 
The  horse  will  bear,  and  with  advantage,  the  loss  of  an  almost 
incredible  quantity  of  blood.  Four  quarts  taken  from  him 
will  be  comparatively  little  more  than  one  pound  taken  from 
the  human  being.  We  can  scarcely  conceive  of  a  consider- 
able inflammation  of  any  part  of  the  horse,  whether  proceed- 
ing from  sprains,  contusions,  or  any  other  cause  in  which 
bleeding,  local  (if  possible),  or  general,  or  both,  will  not  be 
of  essential  service." 

As  before  stated,  it  is  not  necessary  to  bleed  in  all  diseases. 
The  operation  is  to  be  resorted  to  only  in  cases  of  acute  in- 
flammation and  old  chronic  complaints.  To  prevent  mis- 
takes, we  give  the  following  rule :  If,  when  the  vein  is 
opened,  the  blood  flows  freely  from  the  first  and  looks  red, 
with  but  a  slightly  dark  tinge,  close  the  vein  at  once — the 
horse  does  not  need  blood-letting.  !N^ever  bleed  to  improve 
condition,  but  only  to  attack  disease.  If  your  horse  is  sick, 
you  can  seldom  go  amiss  to  bleed  him,  unless  his  disorder 
belongs  to  the  class  referred  to  a  few  pages  back,  that  waste 
the  system  away  by  constant  defluxions.  We  only  recom- 
mend bleeding  in  cases  where  experience  has  taught  us  its 
necessity,  where  the  blood  is  in  a  diseased,  disorganizing  con- 
dition, and  free  communication  between  it  and  the  alimen- 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  EIC.  371 


tary  canal — its  source  of  nutrition — is  in  great  degree  or  en- 
tirely suspended. 

The  amount  of  blood  to  be  taken  at  any  one  time  will  de- 
pend upon  the  violence  of  the  attack,  or  the  length  of  time 
which  the  disease  has  been  running.  It  will  be  very  seldom 
that  the  practitioner  will  find  it  judicious  to  take  more  than 
four  quarts  at  a  single  bleeding,  and  from  this  the  quantity 
will  diminish  down  to  a  quart,  in  case  of  extreme  weakness 
or  a  mild  attack.  In  sudden  attacks  of  inflammation,  copi- 
ous bleeding  will  be  necessary  only  once,  as  a  general  rule. 
In  chronic  or  constitutional  diseases,  it  may  be  necessary  to 
bleed  oftener,  but  not  so  much  should  be  taken  at  one  time. 
Big  head,  hide-bound,  mange,  fistula,  chronic  founder,  and 
some  other  disorders,  make  the  blood  very  black,  and  here 
the  stream  should  be  kept  running  until  its  color  changes  to 
a  healthy  venous  color — somewhat  darker  than  arterial  blood, 
but  still  a  beautiful  red.  In  cases  of  lock-jaw  and  blind 
staggers,  the  vein  must  be  kept  open  until  the  pulse  falters,  the 
knees  begin  to  tremble,  and  the  horse  commences  to  blow. 

The  proper  place  to  bleed  is  in  the  neck  vein — the  jugular 
vein,  as  its  proper  name  is — about  two  inches  down  the  neck, 
from  where  the  two  branches  of  the  vessels  unite.  It  is  a 
little  below  the  point  indicated  at  t  in  the  cut  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  next  section. 

"We  will  now  describe  the  manner  of  bleeding  in  the  way  that 
most  horsemen  will  practice  it,  not  being  supplied  with  a  lancet, 
which  is  a  matter  of  no  consequence.  The  operation  is  so 
simple  that  no  farmer,  or  intelligent  lad  who  is  intrusted  with 
the  care  of  a  team,  need  have  any  fears  about  undertaking  it,, 
if  his  mind  has  once  been  conclusively  made  up  in  relation 
to  its  necessity.  A  small,  hard  cord  should  be  drawn  tightly 
around  the  neck,  about  six  inches  below  the  place  where  the 
incision  is  to  be  ijiade,  and,  as  soon  as  the  neck  fills  out, 
smooth  the  hair  with  the  moistened  finger,  so  that  it  may  lie 
close  and  straight  with  the  vein.  Then  have  some  one  to 
hold  the  horse ;  cover  the  eye  on  the  side  whence  the  blood 
is  to  be  drawn,  or,  if  the  operator  is  alone,  the  horse  may  be 


■  * 


>\ 


372  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

blindfolded.  l!^ow  lay  the  fleam  lengthwise  the  vein,  holding 
it  in  the  left  hand,  and  resting  it  exactly  on  the  center  ot 
the  vessel,  and,  with  a  hard  piece  of  wood  in  the  right  hand, 
strike  the  fleam  with  sufficient  force  to  cut  into  the  vein. 
The  piece  of  wood  used  for  this  purpose  should  be  about  a 
foot  long,  and  an  inch  or  more  in  thickness.  The  blow  given 
with  it  must  not  be  so  violent  as  to  cut  through  the  inner 
wall  of  the  vein.  Such  an  accident  has  sometimes  occurred, 
and  is  apt  to  result  in  inflammation  of  the  parts,  and  the 
formation  of  an  abscess  back  of  the  vein,  which  will  prove 
exceedingly  difficult  to  remove.  The  incision  should  be 
large,  so  as  to  secure  the  abstraction  of  the  requisite  amount 
of  blood  in  the  shortest  time  possible ;  hence  the  advantages 
of  using  a  broad-shouldered  fleam.  After  enough  blood  has 
been  drawn,  remove  the  cord  from  the  neck,  and  the  blood 
will  cease  to  flow.  !N"ow  bring  the  edges  of  the  cut  together, 
and  put  a  quite  small  pin  through  the  skin,  so  as  to  hold  them 
thus ;  then  tie  some  of  the  tail  hairs,  wet  in  the  blood,  under 
the  pin,  drawing  them  tightly,  and  let  the  whole  remain  in 
this  condition  for  twenty-four  hours.  The  pin  should  then 
be  removed,  and  the  scar  afterward  wet  with  spittle  occa- 
sionally. 

The  few  remaining  directions  which  may  properly  be  laid 
down  concerning  bleeding,  we  give  in  the  language  of  Youatt : 

"  When  the  bleeding  is  to  be  repeated,  if  more  than  three 
or  four  hours  have  elapsed,  it  will  be  better  to  make  a  fresh 
incision  rather  than  to  open  the  old  wound.  Few  directions 
are  necessary  for  the  use  of  the  lancet.  They  who  are  com- 
petent to  operate  with  it  will  scarcely  require  any.  If  the 
point  is  sufficiently  sharp,  the  lancet  can  scarcely  be  too 
broad-shouldered ;  and  an  abscess  lancet  will  generally  make 
a  freer  incision  than  that  in  common  use.  Whatever  instru- 
ment is  adopted,  too  much  care  can  not^be  taken  to  have  it 
perfectly  clean,  and  very  sharp.  It  should  be  carefully  wiped 
and  dried  immediately  after  the  operation,  otherwise,  in  a 
very  short  time,  the  edges  will  begin  to  be  corroded." 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEAET  AND  BLOOD,  ETC. 


373 


THE  PULSE. 


^% 


The  cut  admirably  shows  the  muscles,  nerves,  and  blood- 
vessels of  the  head  and  the  upper  part  of  the  neck.  "We 
have  reserved  it  to  introduce  here,  in  order  to  point  out  the 
location  of  the  pulse  so  plainly  that  no  one  can  be  at  a  loss 
where  to  look  for  it.  It  will  be  easily  found  in  the  living 
subject,  at  the  point  here  indicated  by  lo.  Down  to  p,  inclu- 
sive, the  lettering  below  relates  to  the  muscles. 


a  The  upper  part  of  the  ligsCment  of  the  neck — the  wUUeather. 

*  The  levator  humeri  (elevator  of  the  8houlder),  arising  from  the  tubercle  of 
the  occiput,  the  mastoid  (nipple-shaped)  process  of  the  temporal  bone, 
and  the  transverse  processes  (cross  projections)  of  the  first  four 
bones  of  the  neck,  and  the  ligament  of  the  neck,  and  going  to  the 
muscles  of  the  shoulders  and  the  upper  bone  of  the  arm :  to  draw 
forward  the  shoulder  and  arm,  or  turn  the  head  and  neck;  and, 
when  the  two  levators  act,  to  depress  the  head. 

e  The  tendon  common  to  the  complexus  major  (larger  complicated),  and  spleniua 
(splint-like) ;  to  the  mastoid  process  of  the  temporal  bone,  to  hold  up 
the  head,  or,  the  muscles  on  one  side  alone  acting,  to  turn  it. 

d  The  stemo-maxillaris  (belonging  to  the  breast-bone)  and  upper  jaw,  from  the 
cartilage  in  front  of  the  chest  to  the  angle  of  the  lower  jaw;  to  bend 
the  head,  or,  if  only  one  acts,  to  bend  it  on  one  side. 

e  The  stylo-mazillaris,  from  the  styloid  (pencil-shaped)  or  coracoid  (beak- 
shaped)  process  of  the  occiput,  to  the  angles  of  the  jaw :  to  pull  the 
jaw  backward  and  open  it. 


8Y4  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

/  The  subscapulo  hyoideus,  from  under  tlie  shoulder-blade,  to  the  body  of  the 
OS  hyoides  (the  bone  at  the  root  of  the  tongue  formed  like  a  Greek 
u,  v):  to  draw  back  that  bone. 

ff  The  masseter  (chewing) ;  a  most  powerful  muscle,  constituting  the  cheek  of 
the  horse:  from  the  upper  jaw  bone  into  the  rough  surface  round 
the  angle  of  the  lower:  in  conjunction  with  the  temporal  muscle  to 
close  the  mouth  and  chew  the  food. 

h  The  orbicularis  (circular)  surrounding  the  eye  and  closing  the  lids. 

t  The  zygomaticus,  from  the  zygomatic  arch  and  masseter  to  the  corner  of  the 
mouth,  to  draw  back  the  angle  of  the  mouth. 

k  The  buccinator  (trumpeter),  from  the  inside  of  the  mouth  and  cheeks,  to 
the  angle  of  the  mouth,  to  draw  it  back. 

I  The  vasalis  labii  superioris  (belonging  to  the  nose  and  upper  lip),  from  a  de- 
pression at  the  junction  of  the  superior  maxillary  and  malar  bones, 
to  the  angle  of  the  nostril :  to  raise  the  lip  and  dilate  the  nostrils. 

m  Dilator  naris  lateralis  (side  dilator  of  the  nostril),  reversed  to  show  the  ves- 
sels atfd  nerves  which  it  covers,  going  from  the  covering  of  the  na- 
sal and  frontal  bones,  to  the  angle  of  the  mouth,  and  side  of  the  nos- 
tril ;  to  retract  the  upper  lip  and  dilate  the  nostrils. 

n  Dilator  magnm  (great  dilator),  assisting  in  the  same  office. 

0  Depressor  labii  inferioris  (puller  down  of  the  under  lip),  to  the  sides  of  the 
under  lip ;  to  pull  it  down. 

p  Orbicularis  oris  (circular  muscle  of  the  mouth),  surrounding  the  mouth :  to 
close  the  lips  and  dilate  the  nostrils. 

q  The  upper  portion  of  the  parotid  gland  (gland  near  the  ear)  reversed,  to 
show  the  blood  vessels  and  nerves  beneath  it. 

r  The  parotid  duct  piercing  the  cheek,  to  discharge  the  saliva  into  the  mouth. 

s  The  maxillary  gland  (gland  of  the  lower  jaw),  with  its  duct. 

t  The  jugular  (neck)  vein,  after  the  two  branches  have  united. 

w  At  this  letter,  the  submaxillary  artery,  a  branch  of  the  jugular,  and  the 
parotid  duct,  pass  under  and  within  the  angle  of  the  lower  jaw; 
they  come  out  again  at  w,  and  climb  up  the  cheek  to  be  distributed 
over  the  face. 

V  The  vein  and  artery,  passing  under  the  zygomatic  arch. 

X  A  branch  of  the  fifth  pair,  the  sensitive  nerve  of  the  face,  emerging  from 
under  the  parotid  gland. 

y  The  main  branch  of  the  portio  dura  (hard  portion)  of  tlfb  seventh  pair,  the 
motor  (moving)  nerve  of  the  face  coming  out  from  beneath  the  paro- 
tid gland,  to  spread  over  the  face. 

z  Branches  of  both  nerves,  with  small  blood-vessels. 

The  condition  of  the  pulse  is  a  consideration  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  the  veterinary  practitioner.  In  most  diseases 
he  has  no  other  means  equally  good  of  determining  the  actual 
state  of  his  patient's  system,  and  there  is  nothing  which  will 
guide  him  so  well  in  forming  his  opinion  in  regard  to  the  ne- 
cessity for  bleeding.    As  was  remarked  in  the  proper  section 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART    AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  375 

of  Chapter  II,  the  beats  of  the  pulse  simply  indicate  so  many 
impulsions  of  the  blood  from  the  heart.  !N'ow,  there  can  be 
no  considerable  excitement  of  the  system,  whether  from  ex- 
ercise, intense  emotion,  or  disease,  without  causing  a  corre- 
spondingly increased  action  of  the  heart.  This  is  indexed  by 
the  pulse,  and  thus  the  presence  of  disease  is  readily  detected, 
and  its  course  traced  throughout  all  its  developments. 

The  pulse  may  be  discovered  and  counted  in  several  places 
on  the  horse's  body,  but  nowhere  else  is  it  so  easily  found 
as  upon  the  underside  of  the  lower  jaw-bone,  at  the  point 
indicated  in  our  description  of  the  foregoing  cut.  Here  the 
submaxillary  artery  passes  over  the  edge  of  the  bone,  and 
feels  like  a  small  cord  under  the  skin.  By  pressing  the 
fingers  upon  it  steadily,  the  pulsations  may  be  felt  pushing 
their  way  along  at  the  rate  of  about  thirty-fiv6  per  minute 
in  the  farmer's  horse,  although  some  fine  breeds  average  as 
much  as  forty,  or  even  more,  when  in  perfect  health.  This 
is  what  writers  refer  to  when  they  speak  of  the  standard 
pulse.  The  great  advantage  of  resorting  to  the  submaxillary 
artery  to  find  the  pulse  is  this:  that  here  pressure  upon  the 
hard  bone  beneath  enables  one  to  determine,  not  merely  the 
rapidity  of  the  pulse,  but  also  its  strength  and  other  charac- 
teristics. 

Fifty  beats  to  the  minute,  when  the  horse  is  not  laboring 
under  muscular  or  nervous  agitation,  constitutes  a  decidedly 
diseased  pulse,  and  seventy  or  eighty  betrays  a  most  fearful 
state  of  excitement.  Such  is  the  case  in  blind  staggers,  for 
instance.  As  high  a  pulse  as  one  hundred  to  the  minute  is 
recorded  by  English  veterinarians ;  but  the  farm  horse  of 
this  country  rarely  shows  one  above  eighty,  which  is  quite 
sufficient  to  soon  wear  out  his  vital  energies.  In  inflamma- 
tion of  the  lungs  or  bowels,  seventy  per  minute  is  about  the 
maximum  attained  in  the  great  majority  of  cases. 

In  health  the  pulsations  are  slow  and  soft,  making  an  im- 
pression, truly,  that  is  readily  recognized  when  the  pressuie 
of  the  finger  is  applied,  but  not  hard  and  tense  by  any  means. 
But  as  fever  and  inflammation  come  on,  the  vein  becomes 


376  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

more  turgid ;  the  blood  is  more  heated ;  the  action  of  the 
heart  is  heightened,  and  the  pulse  increases  in  proportion. 
It  is  sometimes  the  case  that  the  blood  is  thick  when  there 
is  but  very  little  fever;  but  the  amount  of  the  latter  is  al- 
ways indicated  by  the  quickness  of  the  pulse.  The  quick, 
throbbing  pulse  speaks  of  inflammation  somewhere;  the  hard, 
corded  pulse,  of  some  chronic  or  long-standing  disease. 
Sometimes  we  find  the  pulse  to  present  both  of  these  con- 
ditions simultaneously,  and  then  the  case  is  an  alarming  one, 
calling  for  prompt  and  vigorous  measures,  or  death  will 
probably  forestall  further  efforts. 

Besides  the  terms  employed  above,  there  are  others  in  gen- 
eral use  among  horsemen,  to  distinguish  the  various  kinds 
of  pulsations  recognizable  under  the  influences  of  disease. 
The  hard  pulse  is  that  in  which  the  beats  evidence  powerful, 
perhaps  even  violent,  over-action  of  the  heart,  but  without 
much  disturbance  of  the  circulation  otherwise.  In  the  wiry 
pulse,  they  appear  small  as  to  volume,  but  hard  and  jerking, 
indicating  great  irritability  in  the  region  of  the  heart,  so 
that  the  ventricles  contract  too  soon,  before  they  are  properly 
filled.  Danger  does  not  liirk  behind  this,  but  advances  with 
it  boldly,  defiantly,  and  with  rapid  strides  indeed.  It  be- 
tokens acute  inflammation,  especially  of  the  bowels,  or  some- 
times of  the  urinary  organs.  The  oppressed  pulse  exists  when 
the  arteries  are  too  full,  overloaded  with  blood  thrown  out 
from  the  heart,  but  returning  to  it  with  difliculty.  There  is 
obstruction  somewhere,  such  that  even  the  immensely  power- 
ful contractions  of  the  muscular  walls  of  the  heart  can  hardly 
force  the  sluggish  current  through  the  blood-vessels.  In- 
flammation of  the  lungs,  a  sudden  and  violent  attack  of 
pneumonia,  is  generally  the  cause  of  this  phenomenon.  In 
this  case  bleeding,  if  not  carried  to  excess,  will  actually  in- 
crease the  strength  of  the  pulsations  instead  of  weakening 
them.  It  will  be  the  proper  recourse  in  all  the  conditions 
of  the  pulse  thus  far  enumerated. 

Not  so,  however,  in  the  case  of  the  weak  pulse;  for  here 
there  is  debility  and  exhaustion,  \nd  the  heart  acts  but  feebly, 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  377 

«. 

while  the  blood  is  poor  and  thin,-  as  well  as  deficient  in  quan- 
tity. Such  a  pulse  accompanies  all  diseases  that  tend  to 
prostrate  the  system,  and  at  other  times  may  indicate  the 
yery  near  approach  of  death.  Depletion  means  murder  here. 
Stimulants,  tonics,  are  what  the  patient  needs,  to  arouse  and 
assist  the  flagging  life-energies  to  proper  action. 

Some  persons  bleed  for  every  ailment,  and  others  for  none 
at  all.  There  must  be  discrimination  in  this  as  in  every 
thing  else.  When  the  horse  is  well,  it  is  absolute  folly  and 
cruelty  to  bleed.  Let  well  enough  alone.  But  when  the 
veins  are  turgid  with  blood,  and  the  pulse,  under  the  stim- 
ulus of  fever  and  inflammation,  is  hard,  wiry,  or  oppressed, 
the  practioner  who  endeavors  to  cure  the  horse  by  means 
of  medication  only  will  generally  find  himself  a  fool  for  his 
pains. 

For  the  more  convenient  reference  of  the  reader,  we  will 
here  recapitulate  the  various  states  of  the  pulse  in  disease, 
with  the  general  indications  of  each  concerning  bleeding : 

Quick  throbbing  pulse — ^inflammation  :  bleed  freely. 

Hard  pulse — feverish  excitement:  bleed  freely. 

Full,  corded  pulse — chronic  or  long-standing  disease :  bleed 
moderately  two  or  three  times,  ten  days  apart. 

Small,  wiry  pulse — usually  inflammation  of  the  bowels: 
bleed  copiously. 

Oppressed  pulse — usually  inflammation  of  the  lungs :  bleed 
freely. 

Weak  pulse — debility :  do  not  bleed  at  all. 

Several  things  are  to  be  taken  into  account  in  making  up 
one's  mind  as  to  the  frequency  of  the  pulse,  such  as  the 
horse's  temperament,  blood,  customary  employment,  etc. 
Especially  should  the  fact  be  inquired  into  whether  the  ani- 
mal is  overheated  or  much  agitated  by  fear,  as  by  these  cir- 
cumstances the  pulse  will  be  increased  as  much  as  from  eight 
to  twelve  beats  per  minute.  Fear,  indeed,  will  occasion 
greater  excitement,  in  this  respect,  than  even  exercise.  In 
judging  of  the  pulse,  then,  the  horse  should  be  as  nearly 
tranquil  as  possible.     It  will  be  best  to  note  its  beats  two  or 


378  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.  ' 

three  times,  at  least,  before  forming  a  final  opinion  concern- 
ing them. 

THE  MODES   OF   GIVING   MEDICINE. 

This  will  be  the  proper  place  for  considering  the  different 
methods  of  administering  medicine  to  the  horse,  which  are 
four  in  number,  as  follows :  Drenching,  in  the  feed,  the  pill, 
and  the  clyster. 

DRENCHING. 

Drenching  is  the  most  common  mode  among  the  masses 
of  horsemen,  and  generally  the  most  successful ;  yet  it  is 
not  without  a  share  of  danger  to  the  patient.  Many  horses 
have  been  occasioned  much  suffering,  some  permanently  in- 
jured, and  a  few  even  killed,  by  carelessness  in  administering 
drenches ;  especially  in  filling  the  mouth  so  rapidly  that  the 
liquid  could  not  be  swallowed  fast  enough,  and  portions  of 
it  being  forced  into  the  trachea,  or  windpipe.  Strangulation 
and  a  severe  coughing  spell  are  the  least  serious  consequences 
of  this  occurrence;  or,  perhaps,  a  cough  may  be  induced  that 
will  prove  obstinate  and  unyielding  for  a  long  time. 

All  this  may  be  easily  avoided.  Enough  of  the  drench 
should  be  turned  into  the  mouth  to  nearly  till  it,  but  no  more 
until  the  horse  has  swallowed  this,  as  he  can  readily  do.  He 
may  sometimes  refuse  to  swallow  until  he  is  compelled  to  do 
so,  by  lifting  the  nose  up  and  down,  so  as  to  move  the  mus- 
cles of  the  throat;  or,  quite  eftectually,  by  pulling  the  mouth 
open  with  the  hands.  In  extreme  cases,  where  the  horse  proves 
utterly  intractable,  the  drench  may  be  turned  into  the  nos- 
tril ;  but  this,  being  still  more  dangerous  than  drenching  in 
the  mouth,  should  not  be  resorted  to  except  in  cases  of  entire 
failure  by  the  other  method,  and  where  the  disease  is  of  such  a 
character  as  to  admit  of  no  delay.  If  a  small  quantity,  about 
half  a  gill,  of  the  liquid  be  turned  into  the  left  nostril,  it 
will  run  into  the  throat.  Should  the  horse  strangle,  drop  his 
head  at  once,  and  do  not  attempt  to  repeat  the  operation; 
for,  while  in  most  horses  the  drench  will  pass  through  the 
nostril  into  the  throat  without  injury,  there  are  others  in 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  379 

which  this  caii  not  be  done.  If  the  first  dose  passes  safely, 
the  operation  may  be  repeated  at  intervals  of  a  minute  or  so, 
until  the  drench  is  all  given.  In  all  cases  let  the  head  drop 
after  swallowing,  before  turning  any  thing  more  into  the 
mouth  or  nostril,  so  that  the  animal  may  readjust  the  palate, 
which  is  apt  to  be  cramped  by  raising  the  head  too  high.  , 
Upon  the  latter  point  care  should  always  be  exercised,  the 
head  being  raised  only  just  enough  to  allow  the  drench  to 
run  into  the  throat.  Here  is  where  much  of  the  danger  at- 
tendant upon  drenching  arises.  When  the  head  is  too  much 
elevated,  the  glottis  may  be  forced  open,  permitting  the  liquid 
to  run  into  the  trachea,  or  windpipe. 

Giving  the  drench  is  a  simple  operation,  with  most  horses, 
at  least.  The  best  method  is  by  using  a  long-necked  bottle, 
holding  about  a  quart.  Fill  the  bottle  with  the  drench,  al- 
ways warm  if  it  can  be  made  so,  and  insert  the  neck  of  the 
bottle  into  the  mouth,  upon  the  right  side  of  it,  and  just  in 
.front  of  the  jaw  teeth,  or  grinders.  Stand  in  an  elevated 
position ;  for  instance,  upon  a  bench  or  box.  Lift  the  head 
carefully  with  the  left  hand,  and,  with  the  bottle  in  the  right, 
turn  out  a  gill  into  the  horse's  mouth  and  throat.  If  he 
swallows  it,  as  he  will  be  likely  to  do,  drop  his  head,  and 
let  him  work  his  jaws  and  the  muscles  of  his  throat  for  a 
minute  or  so.  In  this  manner  continue  until  the  whole 
drench  is  disposed  of. 

A  few  simple  directions  in  regard  to  preparing  the  drench 
may  be  of  value  to  some.  The  liquid  must  contain  no  pow- 
ders, lump,  or  sediment  of  any  kind;  for  these  may  cause 
strangulation,  and  do  serious  injury.  "When  any  medicine 
is  to  be  administered  that  is  in  powder  or  lumps,  give  it  in 
some  other  way,  and  not  in  a  drench.  The  great  advantage 
of  drenching  consists  in  the  greater  rapidity  with  which  rem- 
edies act  than  when  given  in  any  other  way.  The  pill  is  a 
much  easier  method  of  medication,  but  the  drench  will  usually 
have  done  its  work  before  the  pill  is  dissolved. 


880  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


THE  PILL. 

This  constitutes  a  more  safe  and  expeditions  method  of 
giving  medicine  than  drenching,  and  in  cases  of  chronic  dis- 
eases, and  all  others  that  can  wait  upon  slow  action,  it  is  to 
be  given  the  decided  preference.  The  medicine  may  be  mixed 
with  some  flour  and  water,  and  the  whole  rolled  into  a  pill 
about  an  inch  in  thickness  and  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length. 
Put  this  on  the  end  of  a  stick,  pull  out  the  horse's  tongue 
carefully,  place  the  pill  on  the  roots  of  that  organ,  if  neces- 
sary pushing  it  back  gently  with  the  stick.  Now  let  the 
tongue  fly  back  suddenly,  and  the  horse  will  be  compelled  to 
swallow  the  dose.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  injure  the 
throat  with  the  stick.  A  person  with  a  small  hand  may  in- 
troduce the  pill  with  the  ends  of  the  fingers  better  than  with 
the  stick. 

IN   THE   FEED. 

This  is  the  style  of  medicating  which  horsemen  prefer,  as 
it  is  attended  with  no  danger  and  but  little  trouble.  But 
there  are  a  great  many  medicines  which  can  not  be  given  in 
this  way ;  and,  at  any  rate,  it  is  only  applicable  to  those  cases 
where  speedy  action  is  no  especial  object.  Another  difficulty 
arises  from  the  fact  that  many  horses  refuse  to  take  medicine 
thus.  Hunger,  however,  will  generally  bring  the  animal  to 
it ;  but  if  he  manifests  an  unusual  aversion  to  the  food,  it  will 
be  better  to  give  the  remedy  in  the  form  of  a  pill  rather  than 
starve  him  long.  In  fact  some  medicines  are  so  exceed- 
ingly distasteful,  that  with  them  it  will  be  of  no  use  to  try 
any  thing  but  the  pill. 

Some  skill  is  desirable  in  disguising  the  medicine  in  the 
feed.  It  may  be  put  at  the  bottom  of  some  meal,  or  only  a 
little  given  at  first,  until  the  horse  has  learned  to  eat  it  with 
less  disrelish.  "Whatever  is  given  in  this  way  should  be  re- 
duced to  a  fine  powder,  and  mixed  with  such  feed  as  bran  or 
meal  mashes,  cut  feed,  or  oats.  % 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD,  ETC.  381 


THE  CLYSTER. 


The  clyster  is  a  liquid  medicine,  injected  into  the  rectum 
of  the  horse  by  the  aid  of  a  syringe,  or  some  other  means. 
It  is  not  designed  to  supersede  any  of  the  other  methods  of 
giving  medicine,  hut  to  act  in  conjunction  with  them,  espe- 
cially in  cases  of  extreme  costiveness  or  stricture.  In  colic, 
inflammation  of  the  bowels,  lock-jaw,  or  any  other  disease  in 
which  the  bowels  are  obstinately  closed,  it  is  a  valuable  as- 
sistant in  hastening  evacuations.  In  all  cases  where  an  active 
purge  is  needed,  and  at  once,  the  aperient  medicine  given 
into  the  stomach  can  be  much  expedited  in  its  action  by  a 
simultaneous  use  of  the  clyster.  It  is  also  of  great  service  in 
checking  diarrhea,  or  "  scours."  Finally,  in  several  diseases — 
lock-jaw,  for  example — nutrition  tnay  be  introduced  into  the 
system  in  the  same  way,  in  suiBcient  quantities  to  prolong 
life  for  a  considerable  period. 

The  best  and  easiest  means  of  administering  a  clyster  is 
with  a  regular  syringe,  with  the  appendix  of  a  gum-elastic 
tube.  If  this  be  not  procurable,  the  operator  may  substitute 
a  cow's  horn,  open  at  both  ends,  or  a  gourd  with  a  long 
handle,  of  which  the  small  end  had  been  cut  off.  When  the 
latter  is  used,  the  clyster  medicine  may  be  turned  into*  the 
bowl  of  the  gourd,  the  small  end  having  first  been  inserted 
within  the  rectum;  and,  on  elevating  the-bowl,  the  contents 
will  pass  out  at  the  other  end.  This  is  a  very  convenient 
mode.  A  tube  made  of  leather,  and  covered  with  old  mus- 
lin, or  some  similar  fabric,  will  answer  the  same  purpose. 
Whatever  is  employed  should  have  a  smooth  surface,  and  be 
well  greased,  so  as  not  to  injure  or  irritate  the  rectum. 

An  aperient  ball  may  be  made  by  mixing  the  clyster  med- 
icine in  some  flour  and  water,  and  then  pushing  this  into  the 
rectum  with  the  hand,  as  far  as  the  arm  can  reach.  Being 
placed  between  the  ends  of  the  fingers,  and  the  hand  and 
arm  well  greased,  it  can  be  thrust  forward  eighteen  or  twenty 
inches.  Food-balls  may  be  given  to  the  horse  in  the  same 
way  in  'eases  of  stricture,  inflammation  of  the  bowels,  lock- 


"    K 


382  AMERICAN  FAEMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

jaw,  and  the  like,  in  which  either  nutrition  can  not  be  intro- 
duced into  the  stomach  at  all,  or  it  is  hazardous  to  do  so. 

We  subjoin  a  list  of  some  of  the  clysters  that  may  be  given 
the  horse  in  different  cases,  with  the  ingredients  of  each. 
In  all  cases,  we  prefer  the  clyster  in  solution  to  the  ball, 
with  the  exception  of  the  food-ball,  which  is  undoubtedly  a 
better  means  of  giving  food  to  the  horse  than  the  solution : 

Aperient  Clysters. — Solution  of  Aloes 4  dr. 

Solution  of  Epsom  salts ....   8  oz. 

Solution  of  assafetida i  oz. 

Lard 1  pint. 

Turpentine  (in  a  pint  of  warm 

water) 1  table-spoonful. 

Cooling  Clysters. — Solution  of  Epsom  salts 4  oz. 

Salt  and  water 1  pint. 

Slippery  elm  mucilage \  pint. 

Astringent  Clysters. — Laudanum  (in  a  pint  of  warm  water).  1  oz. 
Blackberry  root  tea  (in  a  pint  of  warm 

water) 1  gill. 

Nutrition  Clysters. — Meal  gruel  (warm) 1  quart. 

Slippery-elm    mucilage    (thickened 

with  meal) 1  pint. 

Arrowroot  (thickened  with  meal).. .  1  pint. 

Sweet  milk  (thickened  with  flour) . .  1  pint. 

Each  of  the  above  is  to  be  used  separately  as  a  clyster. 
The  practitioner  must  exercise  his  own  judgment  in  select- 
ing from  each  class  that  which  will  probably  be  most  suc- 
cessful in  the  particular  case  he  has  in  hand. 

The  aperient  and  food  balls  may  be  composed  of  the  ma- 
terials indicated  in  their  respective  classes,  with  the  addition 
of  flour.    The  ball  should  be  about  three  inches  in  thickness. 


i 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS.  ETC.     383. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC. 

The  action  of  poisonous  substances  is  not  uniformly  the 
same  upon  the  horse  as  upon  the  human  subject,  for,  although 
some  of  these  are  nearly  equally  destructive  to  both,  many 
that  are  deadly  in  their  effects  upon  the  biped  are  quite 
innocent  when  given  the  horse;  and  still  others  are  in  the 
highest  degree  injurious  to  the  latter,  but  not  at  all  harmful 
to  man. 

In  this  chapter  the  design  will  be  to  describe,  not  the  ac- 
tion of  those  poisons  which  are  known  to  be  universally  de- 
structive to  animal  life,  for  of  these  there  is  no  need  to  warn 
the  reader  against  using,  but  to  call  the  attention  of  all 
classes  to  the  dangers  attending  the  employment  of  various 
drugs  which  many  people  are  ignorantly  accustomed  to  give 
their  horses  to  purify  the  blood,  and  for  the  improvement 
of  condition  generally,  and  to  point  out  the  best  antidotes 
that  are  known  for  the  counteraction  of  their  effects  when 
they  have  been  given  either  by  accident  or  design.  We  shall 
also  have  occasion  to  treat  of  the  various  animal  poisons  to 
whose  operation  the  horse  is  sometimes  exposed — the  bite  of 
serpents,  the  sting  of  poisonous  insects,  and  the  like. 

Often  nothing  will  avail  in  a  case  of  poisoning.  Poisons 
usually  act  very  quickly,  disorganizing  the  blood  and  the 
tissues  of  the  body  so  rapidly  that  only  the  promptest  possi- 
ble measures  will  save  the  victim's  life.  Others,  however, 
do  not  kill  at  once,  but  the  horse  lingers  along  in  ill-health, 
and  finally  dies — it  may  be'  even  months  afterward.  Many 
cases  of  chronic  disease  and  permanently-impaired  health 
has  the  author  known  among  horses  that  were  referable  to 
nothing  else  in  the  world  than  the  use  of  poisonous  medi- 
cines.    Such  remedies,  every  intelligent  farmer  and  horse- 


884  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

owner  will  entirely  ignore  in  his  veterinary  practice,  and  upon 
no  consideration  whatever  will  he  be  induced  to  have  any 
thing  to  do  with  them.  There  is  no  need  to  resort  to  the 
use  of  such  poisons  in  any  case,  for  there  is  an  abundance  of 
other  medicines  to  select  from  which  are  equally  or  nearly 
eflS-cient,  and  attended  with  no  dangerous  consequences. 

It  is  not  often  that  the  horse  is  poisoned  internally,  except 
as  before  adverted  to — by  the  careless  or  ignorant  use  of 
certain  articles  administered  as  medicines.  Natural  instinct 
teaches  him  to  avoid  most  of  the  poisonous  herbs  that  com- 
monly grow  in  the  pasture-fields,  where  he  seldom  receives 
any  injury  of  this  kind,  unless  it  be  occasionally  from  the 
poisonous  weeds  and  vines  with  which  his  nose  may  come 
in  contact  during  grazing.  Perhaps  the  chief  danger  of  in- 
ternal poisoning  to  which  the  horse  is  exposed  proceeds  from 
the  mean,  dastardly  mode  which  some  cowards  adopt  to  take 
revenge  upon  an  enemy — ^that  of  destroying  or  ruining  his 
horse. 

In  1866,  we  treated  an  aggravated  case  of  this  kind  in 
Petersburg,  Boone  County,  Kentucky.  A  young  horse, 
from  motives  of  revenge  which  some  miscreant  entertained 
toward  his  owner,  was  poisoned  by  applying  some  villainous 
compound  to  the  animal's  nose,  causing  it  to  swell  to  three 
times  its  natural  size,  while  great  blisters  came  out  all  over 
the  surface.  The  treatment  was  alternate  washings  with  hot 
salt  and  water,  and  a  strong  decoction  of  golden  seal,  every 
four  hours.  This  gave  relief  in  a  short  time,  and  in  a  few 
days  the  horse  was  quite  well. 

In  many  districts  of  the  South  and  South-west,  however, 
the  stock-raiser  has  much  more  reason  to  dread  the  bites 
of  venomous  serpents,  insects,  etc.,  than  any  of  the  other 
sources  of  poisoning. 

The  subjects  of  which  we  propose  to  treat  in  this  chapter 
may  be  grouped  under  three  different  heads ;  namely,  inter- 
nal poisons,  poisons  of  the  skin,  and  animal  poisons.  The 
latter  includes  the  bite  of  venomous  snakes,  and  the  sting 
of  scorpions,  poisonous  insects,  hornets,  wasps,  etc. 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.      385 


INTERNAL   POISONS. 

This,  of  course,  is  the  class  of  poisons  which  communi- 
cate their  hurtful  influences  through  the  medium  of  the 
stomach  and  the  lacteal  absorbents  of  the  intestines.  Many 
of  them  prove  deadly  at  once ;  but  these  are  all  too  well 
known  to  need  any  enlarging  upon  here.  Our  object  is  to 
warn  against  the  employment  of  such  as  are  slower  in  their 
action,  and  •whose  ill  efi'ects,  in  consequence,  are  more  apt 
to  be  overlooked. 

Nux  Vomica. — This  is  used  extensively  in  many  parts  of 
the  country  as  a  purifier  of  the  blood  and  a  promoter  of 
condition,  but  never  without  decided  injury  to  the  horse. 
It  is  a  powertul  poison,  injuring  the  teeth,  destroying  the 
healthy  tone  of  the  stomach,  impairing  digestion,  and  pro- 
ducing general  derangement  of  the  bowels.  For  a  time  it 
may  possibly  appear  to  benefit  the  horse,  and  to  abate  dis- 
ease, yet  its  results  are  so  uniformly  disastrous  in  the  end 
that  it  should  never  be  given  the  animal  as  medicine.  Be- 
sides being  an  unsafe  remedy  at  all  timies,  it  is  wholly  unnec- 
essary, since  the  prescriptions  laid  down  in  this  work  will 
accomplish  the  desired  ends  more  perfectly  and  without 
hazard. 

Among  the  symptoms  of  poisoning  from  this  source  are 
the  following  :  The  pulse  is  irregular ;  the  mouth  and  tongue, 
white;  the  saliva,  stringy;  the  membrane  of  the  nose,  a  dull 
purple;  the  eyes,  a  whitish  yellow;  the  breath,  hot  and  fever- 
ish ;  the  skin  likewise  hot  and  dry,  and  the  hair  rough  and 
standing.  I^ot  all  of  these  are  necessarily  present  in  every 
case,  but  some  of  them  always  are ;  and  occasionally  others, 
of  &>  more*  alarming  character,  supervene,  such  as  colic  pains, 
retching  of  the  stomach,  excessive  flow  of  highly-colored 
urine,  etc.  Spasms  and  convulsions  may  next  ensue,  and 
then  death  is  not  far  oft". 

The  antidote,  in  this  case,  is  grease.     Give  the  horse  a  pint 
of  sweet  oil  or  lard,  with  six  eggs  broken  into  it,  to  hold  the 
25 


>.^ 


386  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

poison  in  solution ;  then  set  to  work  to  bring  about  an  evacua 
tion  of  the  bowels  as  soon  as  possible.  Use  the  clyster 
freely — a  quart  of  warm,  strong  soap-suds — and  this  re- 
peated every  half  hour  until  a  discharge  is  secured.  Fol- 
low the  original  dose  of  oil,  in  two  hours,  by  a  drench  of 
strong  salt  and  water,  as  hot  as  the  horse  can  bear  it.  In 
this  way  the  horse  may  usually  be  saved,  even  when  the 
symptoms  of  poisioning  were  decided ;  but  the  owner  will  be 
exceedingly  fortunate  if  he  does  not  afterward  find  the  ani- 
mal's vigor  noticeably  impaired,  or  his  future  history  show 
a  strong  tendency  to  colic. 

In  1851  we  had  under  treatment  a  very  bad  case  of  fis- 
tula— that  of  a  horse  belonging  to  a  gentleman  named  Fow- 
ler, living  in  Gibson  County,  Tennessee.  The  condition  of 
the  animal  was  low,  and  the  blood  in  a  very  impure  state. 
During  our  absence,  and,  of  course,  without  our  knowledge, 
the  owner  was  prevailed  upon  to  administer  nux  vomica  for 
the  purpose  of  cleansing  the  blood.  Half  a  button  per  day 
was  the  dose,  and  of  these  nine  had  been  given,  when,  upon 
the  tenth  day,  the  poor  creature  died — poisoned  to  death. 

Cantharides,  or  Spanish  Flies. — This  is  a  dreadful  poison, 
of  the  strongest  diuretic  properties.  It  is  unsafe  given  in 
how  small  quantities  soever;  and  for  this  reason,  notwith- 
standing that  nearly  all  veterinary  writers  prescribe  it,  with 
more  or  less  strenuous  cautions,  we  must  condemn  it  alto- 
gether. Given  internally,  it  very  often  produces  strangury 
and  death ;  and  if  these  sad  results  do  not  follow,  there  will 
generally  be  found  a  permanently-diseased  condition  of  the 
urinary  organs,  extending  not  unfrequently  to  the  stomach 
and  bowels  also.  Whether  administered  in  large  or  small 
doses,  it  is  hurtful  in  the  extreme.  Perhaps  the  large  dose 
is  really  least  objectionable,  as  it  soon  puts  the  victim  out 
of  his  misery,  while  the  small  dose  operates  in  the  way  of  a 
slow  and  lingering  torture.  One  drachm  given  the  horse 
will  kill  him  in  a  very  short  time. 

"In  the  breeding  season/'  says  Youatt,  "it  is  shamefully 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.     387 

given  as  an  excitement  to  the  horse  and  mare,  and  many  a 
valuable  life  is  lost  by  the  abominable  practice."  This  we 
indorse,  and  will  go  so  much  further  as  to  say  that  the  scamp 
who  would  be  guilty  of  such  a  procedure  ought  to  be  sent 
to  the  penitentiar3^  Strangely  enough,  this  usually  excel- 
lent and  judicious  veterinarian  sitU  prescribes  the  use  of 
cantharides  in  small  doses.  We  must  express  our  astonish- 
ment that  any  respectable  authority  should  recommend  it  in 
any  case;  and  our  advice  to  the  farmer  is,  have  nothing  to 
do  with  it,  nor  with  the  ignorant  fellow  who  would  bid  you 
give  it  so  much  as  a  trial.  As  a  blister,  the  corrosive  lini- 
ment will  accomplish  all  that  cantharides  can,  and  is  prefer- 
able 'in  every  way. 

The  symptoms  of  poison  from  this  source  are  a  hot  breath, 
a  rapid  and  irregular  pulse,  and  colicky  pains.  Crampings, 
convulsions,  and  death  complete  the  series. 

In  regard  to  an  antidote,  it  is  difficult  to  prescribe.  If 
your  folly  has  been  so  great  as  to  lead  you  to  give  your  horse 
such  abominable  poison,  you  will  probably  have  the  poor  sat- 
isfaction of  seeing  him  die  from  its  effects,  and  the  consola- 
tion of  knowing  that  this  is  work  of  your  own  doing.  A 
pint  of  castor  oil,  to  act  upon  the  bowels  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble ;  six  fresh  eggs,  at  the  same  time,  to  hold  the  poison  in 
check ;  and  then  a  vigorous  use  of  the  warm  soap-suds  clys- 
ter, comprise  all  that  can  be  done,  except  tonnake  up  the 
mind  never  to  be  caught  in  the  like  folly  again. 

Copperas,  or  Sulphate  of  Iron. — This  is  another  substance- 
sometimes  given  the  horse  as  a  promoter  of  condition  that 
is  really  very  detrimental.  It  is  highly  injurious  to  both  the 
stomach  and  the  teeth,  and  should  be  thrown  aside  entirely 
in  treating  the  diseases  of  the  horse. 

In  general  terms,  the  sulphates,  acetates,  and  nitrates  of 
copper,  lead,  silver,  and  zinc  are  poisonous  to  the  horse — 
sufficiently  so,  at  least,  to  condemn  their  administration  as 
internal  remedies,  although  many  of  them  may  be  used  with 
decided  benefit  in  the  forms  of  liniments  and  washes.    There 


"im 


S88  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

are  three  minerals  of  great  service  in  medicatiou,  whose  ju- 
dicious employment  may  be  especially  recommended.  These 
are  oxide  of  iron,  calomel,  and  nitrate  of  potassium. 

Corrosive  Sublimate. — This  is  a  direful  poison,  of  fearfully 
destructive  effects  when  introduced  into  the  stomach ;  but 
though  so  deadly  a  potion,  it  forms,  with  other  ingredients, 
one  of  the  most  valuable  liniments  in  the  world.  It  is  the 
most  powerful  principle  of  the  corrosive  liniment,  so  often 
recommended  in  the  previous  chapters  of  this  work. 

Acids. — ITone  of  these  constitute  a  suitable  medicine  for 
the  horse.  They  are  the  acetic,  cUric,  muriatic,  sulphuric, 
nitric,  tartaric,  oxalic,  and  prussic — all  of  which  are  to  be 
rejected  as  injurious,  and  some  of  them  as  most  swift  and 
deadly  poisons. 

Alkalies. — Alkalies  and  their  salts  may  all  be  used  at  times 
with  decided  advantage  as  correctors  of  an  acid  condition 
of  the  stomach,  or  as  mild  and  safe  diuretics.  In  this  list 
of  remedies,  the  nitrate  of  potassa  (the  niter,  or  saltpeter,  of  ^ 
every-day  life)  stands  high  as  a  mild  diuretic.  It  should  be 
given  only  in  small  doses,  and  never  except  in  clear  cases  of 
urinary  disease.  Common  wood  ashes  is  of  exceeding  value 
to  the  horse,  %nd,  when  he  is  in  the  stable,  they  should  be 
given  him  as  regularly  as  his  salt,  but  in  moderate  quantities, 
of  course.  The  tendency  in  the  stomach  of  the  horse  is 
toward  acidity  and  fermentation.  Acids  aggravate  this  con- 
dition, and  ruin  the  horse;  alkalies  correct  the  former,  and 
relieve  the  animal. 

Creosote. — Given  in  large  quantities,  this  is  poisonous  to  the 
horse ;  but  in  doses  of  ten  drops,  in  some  warm  water,  it  is 
very  serviceable  in  both  cramp  and  flatulent  colic. 

Tobacco. — "The  weed"  is  a  poison,  although  many  men 
seem  never  to  suspect  the  fact.     It  is  not  to  be  used  in- 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.      389 

ternally  in  veterinary  practice,  except  in  cases  of  farcy,  dis- 
temper, and  glanders,  where  we  prescribe  it  on  the  principle 
of  employing  one  poison  to  neutralize  and  destroy  another 
lurking  in  the  blood. 

Tar. — This  substance  is  not  a  poison ;  but  it  is  not  best  to 
give  it  to  the  horse  unless  well  mixed  with  grease,  as,  in  its 
fresh  state,  it  is  apt  to  choke  the  animal,  and  has  been  known 
to  form  balls  in  the  stomach  that  killed  him.  It  has  some 
valuable  pectoral  properties,  when  mixed  with  other  ingredi- 
ents.    The  oil  of  tar  should  not  be  used. 

Turpentine. — Turpentine  is  an  excellent  constituent  of  ex- 
ternal applications,  such  as  liniments,  the  best  of  which  can 
hardly  be  made  without  using  it  to  some  extent.  It  is  a 
rubefacient,  (as  those  substances  are  called  which  produce 
redness  of  the  skin,)  and,  opening  the  pores,  it  prepares  the 
way  for  the  other  ingredients  of  the  liniment  to  act ;  but, 
given  internally  to  the  horse,  it  is  poisonous  to  both  the  di- 
gestive and  urinary  organs.  The  oil  of  turpentine  should 
not  be  used  at  all.  The  turpentine  from  the  tree  is  better 
than  either. 

Tartar  EmUic. — This  may  be  used  advantageously,  in  small 
doses,  to  abate  fevers,  and  is  particularly  valuable  in  inflam- 
mation of  the  lungs  and  all  catarrhal  affections.  It  is  b, 
powerful  nauseant,  and,  in  large  quantities,  has  the  effect  of 
an  active  poison.  In  doses  of  from  a  drachm  to  a  drachm 
and  a  half,  when  given  in  connection  with  niter  and  digitalis, 
it  excites  the  secretions  of  the  skin,  acting  as  a  powerful 
diaphoretic  as  well  as  diuretic.  In  overdoses  it  is  apt  to  do 
injury.  As  the  horse  can  not  vomit,  it  is  safest  to  accom- 
pany tartar  emetic  with  a  small  dose  of  salts. 

Groton  Oil. — Great  danger  attends  the  use  of  croton  oil  in 
veterinary  practice.  It  is  admissable  only  in  very  extreme 
cases  of  costiveness  and  stricture.     Such  is  the  rapidity  and 


890  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

violence  of  its  action,  that  it  often  does  material  injury  before 
the  bowels  relax,  having  a  strong  tendency  to  produce  -rup- 
ture and  death.  The  dose  is  from  eight  to  ten  drops,  in 
sonae  warm  water ;  but  the  instances  are  rare  in  which  milder 
remedies  will  not  serve  a  better  purpose. 

As  an  external  application,  however,  in  all  cases  where  an 
active  liniment  is  needed,  croton  oil  is  quite  valuable.  It 
should  be  mixed  with  sweet  oil,  in  the  proportion  of  ten 
drops  of  croton  oil  to  forty  drops  of  the  latter.  Applied  with 
a  cloth  or  brush,  and  well  rubbed  jn,  this  is  a  very  efficient 
adjunct  in  the  treatment  of  colic,  inflammation  of  the  lungs 
or  bowels,  sprains,  cramps,  nervous  affections,  etc. 

The  antidote  for  an  excessive  dose  of  croton  oil  consists 
of  a  full  dose — from  one  to  two  ounces — of  laudanum,  fol- 
lowed, in  four  hours,  by  half  a  pound  of  Epsom  salts. 

Of  the  large  number  of  vegetable  poisons,  there  are  very 
few  which  appear  to  be  very  injurious  to  the  horse.  It  is  a 
matter  of  extreme  doubt,  in  fact,  whether  any  vegetation 
grows  in  our  country  from  which  there  can  arise  any  danger 
of  his  being  poisoned  to  death.  We  have  often  known  him 
eat  with  impunity  the  leaves  and  buds  of  the  "  jimson"  weed, 
and  the  ground  and  fence  ivy  of  the  meadows.  Externally, 
these  are  poisons;  but  taken  into  the  stomach  they  do  not 
harm  the  horse.  We  know  of  but  two  plants  growing  in 
America  that  he  will  ever  eat  which  act  as  a  poison  to  him. 
These  are  the  poison-oak  that  grows  upon  dead  trees  and 
stumps,  and  the  laurel  growing  upon  the  bluffs  of  creeks  and 
rocky  chasms. 

For  these  the  following  is  the  antidote :  A  pint  of  lard 
and  half  a  pound  of  salts,  to  evacuate  the  bowels  as  soon  as 
possible,  followed,  in  two  hours,  by  some  lime  or  chalk  water. 

Belladonna,  or  Deadly  Nightshade. — This  is  a  deadly  poison 
in  its  prepared  form;  but  the  horse  will  not  eat  it  when 
growing  wild,  as  it  does  in  the  United  States  only  in  certain 
sections.     It  is  a  powerful  narcotic  and   sedative,  and,  in 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.      391 

small  doses,  is  a  valuable  auxiliary  in  all  cases  of  undue  action 
of  the  nervous  and  vascular  systems,  especially  in  affections 
of  the  heart  and  lungs.  The  proper  dose  is  five  or  six 
grains  of  the  powdered  leaves.  Given  in  overdoses,  it  has 
sometimes  been  the  cause  of  death. 

White  Hellebore. — This  is  a  virulent  poison,  very  dangerous 
in  the  hands  of  those  who  are  ignorant  of  its  properties.     In 
small  doses,  it  may  occasionally  be  used  to  advantage,  but  it . 
is  always  to  be  administered  with  great  cautioik     It  is  a  '•^" 

powerful  cathartic,  and  very  drastic.  In  diseases  of  the  lungs, 
especially  in  inflammation,  it  acts  with  great  force  upon  the 
pulse,  lowering  it  very  rapidly.  This  proceeds  from  its  pow- 
erful restraining  influences  upon  the  heart,  whose  throbbing 
will  be  stilled  forever  by  a  drachm  or  a  drachm-  and  a  half 
of  white  hellebore.  A  half-drachm  is  a  large  dose,  and  onfe- 
fourth  of  a  drachm  is  as  much  as  can  be  given  without  some 
hazard.  The  practitioner  should  have  recourse  to  this  drug 
only  in  very  extreme  cases. 

The  prominent  symptoms  of  poisoning  from  this  cause  are 
three :  a  rapid  sinking  of  the  pulse,  hanging  of  the  head,  and 
frothing  at  the  mouth. 

The  antidote  is  half  a  pint  of  Cayenne  pepper  tea,  with 
half  an  ounce  of  laudanum,  or  a  drachm  and  a  half  of 
opium,  in  it. 

Black  Hellebore. — Like  the  white  hellebore,  this  seldom 
grows  in  our  meadows  and  pastures,  and,  both  being  very 
offensive  to  the  horse,  he  is  in  little  danger  from  either ;  nor 
are  they  often  used  by  our  farmers.  The  black  hellebore  is 
not  as  poisonous  as  the  white,  but  possesses  no  properties 
which  can  justify  its  use  internally.  As  an  external  applica- 
tion, it  has  some  valuable  medicinal  qualities,  especially  as  a 
liniment  for  old  sores,  or  certain  fistular  ulcers.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  thick  syrup  or  extract  should  be  taken  and  mixed 
with  grease,  by  which  means  a  very  active  ointment  will  be 
formed,  of  which  but  a  small  quantity  need  be  used  at  once^ 


392  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


POISONS   OP   THE   SKIN. 

Corrosive  Sublimate. — This  is  a  very  active,  irritant  poison, 
and  is  not  to  be  tampered  with,  except  as  its  use  is  indicated 
in  this  work.  With  certain  other  ingredients,  enumerated 
in  the  proper  section  of  Chapter  XXIV,  it  forms  the  invalu- 
able corrosive  liniment. 

May-apple  Root. — This  is  a  poison  to  the  horse,  and  when 
given  internally  is  one  of  the  most  drastic  of  medicines,  after 
occasioning  severe  and  almost  uncontrollable  purging.  In 
this  manner  it  should  not  be  employed  at  all.  As  a  liniment, 
however,  prepared  by  combining  lard  with  it,  it  possesses 
properties  for  curing  fistula  and  poll-evil  superior  to  any 
other  known  remedy.  The  uncombined  extract  is  a  ver}'^ 
active*  poison  to,  the  flesh  of  the  horse,  and  must  never  be 
used.  • 

Poison  Oaky  or  Running  Sumach.— The  creeping  plant 
known  by  this  name  is  most  frequently  found  climbing  old 
stumps  of  trees,  piles  of  stones,  and  the  like.  Although  the 
horse  will  eat  this  only  occasionally,  it  often  poisons  his  nose 
and  ears,  and  sometimes  his  feet,  when  they  happen  to  come 
into  contact  with  it  in  grazing.  It  causes  dreadful  blister* 
and  scabby  eruptions. 

The  treatment  is  as  follows :  Wash  with  the  tea  of  golden 
seal  three  or  four  times  during  the  day,  and  at  night  rub  in 
some  old  grease  over  the  poisonous  surface.  In  the  morning 
wash  off  the  grease  with  warm  soap-suds,  and  apply  the  de- 
coction of  golden  seal  again.  Continue  this  course  as  long 
as  may  be  necessary -to  heal. 

There  are  several  other  poisonous  plants  and  vines  com- 
mon in  various  parts  of  the  country,  such  as  the  meadow  ivy, 
the  poison  vine,  the  hemlock,  the  "  sneeze- weed  "  of  the  South, 
and  some  others.  The  weed  last  named  is  a  great  pest  of 
the  pastures  and  woods  of  many  portions  of  Middle  Tennes- 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.      393 

see,  where  many  colts  and  horses  are  almost  ruined  by  it 
during  the  months  of  August  and  September. 

The  treatment  for  all  external  poisons  of  this  class  is  that 
just  prescribed  for  the  poison  oak — frequent  washing  with 
the  decoction  of  yellow-root,  or  golden  seal,  with  nightly 
anointments  with  grease.  If,  as  sometimes  happens  in  cases 
of  severe  poisoning,  the  legs  swell  and  the  joints  become 
stiff,  wash  them  repeatedly  with  hot  salt  and  water,  and  rub 
them  well  with  the  hand  or  a  brush. 

ANIMAL   POISONS. 

Snake  Bites. — I^ature  has  populated  the  Weatern  Continent 
with  many  varieties  of  serpents  and  poisonous  insects.  Some 
of  the  Western  and  South-western  States,  especially  those 
bordering  upon  the  Mississippi  River,  are  greatly  infested 
with  them.  In  West  Tennessee,  where  we  formerly  resided — 
a  land  of  thickets  and  underbrush — the  rattlesnake  abounds, 
and  is  often  found  in  the  yard,  sometimes  under  the  very 
door-step,  and  has  been  killed  in  the  log  out-houses  and 
stables.  Besides  this  venomous  creature,  there  are  others  on 
all  the  tributaries  of  the  great  river ;  and  the  whole  country 
on  the  lower  portion  of  the  latter's  course  are  tenanted  not 
only  with  the  rattlesnake,  but  also  the  spreading  adder,  the 
moccasin,  the  cotton-mouth,  and  the  black  and  water  vipers. 

It  is  not  often  that  the  horse  is  bitten  by  a  snake,  yet  it 
sometimes  occurs.  Four  or  five  cases  are  all  that  we  ever 
met  in  a  practice  at  the  South  of  nearly  twenty  years 
Nearly  all  serpents  give  warning  to  any  animal  approaching 
them;  and  the  horse,  unless  his  hearing  is  impaired,  never 
fails  to  take  the  alarm  and  flee  from  danger.  Of  those  that 
are  unquestionably  poisonous,  not  all  are  equally  so,  the 
venom  of  some  being  much  more  active  than  that  of  others. 
Otherwise,  the  quality  of  the  virus  seems  essentially  the  sam< 
in  each,  and  hence  a  uniform  course  of  treatment  is  to  be 
practiced  for  counteracting  their  effects. 

The  common  and  most  effectual  antidote  is  large  potations 
of  proof  whiskey — half  a  pint,  every  hour,  in  warm  water, 


# 


894  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

with  a  little  hartshorn — and  continued  washing  of  the  wound 
with  hot  salt  and  water.  Half  a  pound  of  salt  should  be 
given  the  patient  at  the  outset.  This  method  will  cure  when 
the  horse  is  first  bitten ;  but  after  great  swellings  have  taken 
place,  no  remedy  can  be  depended  on.  Extensive  suppura- 
tion and  gangrene  will  probably  supervene,  followed  by  de- 
rangement, blindness,  convulsions,  and  death. 

If  the  bite  is  discovered  immediately,  the  better  plan 
would  be  to  cut  out  the  entire  wound  with  a  sharp  knife, 
and  apply  some  of  the  corrosive  liniment ;  or,  in  the  absence 
of  this,  a  very  small  quantity  of  pulverized  sublimate ;  yet 
the  internal  treatment,  as  above  prescribed,  should  not  be 
neglected.  By  this  means  the  virus  will  be  effectually  coun- 
teracted. A  thimble  pressed  forcibly  upon  the  wound,  and 
bound  fast,  will  often  extract  the  poison  and  prevent  swelling. 

Venomous  Spiders. — Spiders  abound  in  every  part  of  the 
country,  but  only  a  .very  few  are  poisonous,  or  ever  bite. 
There  is  a  species  of  black  spider,  with  a  small  white  spot 
upon  the  back,  whose  bite  is  nearly  as  deadly  as  that  of  the 
rattlesnake.  All  of  the  large  black  spiders  are  more  or  less 
poisonous,  and  will  sometimes  resent  pressure  by  biting ;  but 
none  show  such  a  viciousness  as  the  one  just  referred  to,  ex- 
cept the  terrible  tarantula  of  the  plains  of  Texas.  This 
latter  monster,  whose  body  sometimes  attains  to  a  length  of 
two  inches,  while  his  legs  are  twice  that  in  length,  will  attack 
both  man  and  beast,  and  only  the  most  prompt  and  energetic 
treatment  can  save  the  victim's  life. 

Horses  are  sufferers  from  these  insects  more  frequently  than 
is  generally  supposed.  There  is  a  swelling  and  soreness  of 
the  nose  or  legs,  for  instance,  and  the  owner  is  apt  to  attrib- 
ute it  uniformly  to  some  contusion  or  strain,  when,  in  many 
cases,  it  is  really  caused  by  the  sting  of  these  detestable 
creatures.  The  proper  course  is  to  examine  all  such  swellings, 
and  see  whether  there  is  any  appearance  of  a  wound,  or  of  a 
nucleus  that  is  fuller  and  harder  than  the  surrounding  skin. 
If  so,  the  case  should  be  promptly  treated  as  for  poison. 


I 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.     395 

The  treatment  is  as  follows :  Give  half  a  pint  of  proof 
whisky  in  some  warm  water,  with  a  tea-spoonful  of  harts- 
horn in  it.  Wash  the  swelling  with  hot  salt  and  water.  If 
the  horse  has  been  bitten  by  one  of  these  spiders,  a  running 
sore  may  be  the  result,  in  which  case  the  corrosive  liniment 
should  be  applied  every  day  for  two  or  three  days,  and  will 
heal  without  fail.  ^ 

The  Centipede. — This  is  a  poisonous  worm  found  in  Texas, 
where  the  people  have  corrupted  the  name  to  "  Santa  Fe." 
It  principally  infests  old,  rotten  logs  and  dark,  hidden  places. 
Instead  of  possessing  one  hundred  legs,  as  its  name  implies, 
it  has  twenty-four,  each  of  them  pointed  with  a  hollow  thorn, 
out  of  which  exudes  the  poison  from  a  little  bag  at  its  root. 
The  construction  of  these  legs,  in  fact,  is  very  much  the  same 
as  that  of  the  fangs  in  the  serpent.  These  venomous  crea- 
tures are  not  common,  but  very  deadly.  It  is  generally  be- 
lieved that  their  sting  is  necessarily  fatal,  death  ensuing  in  a 
few  minutes.     Horses  and  cattle  are  often  killed  by  them. 

We  are  of  opinion,  however,  that  life  might  probably  be 
saved  by  the  immediate  use  of  proof  spirits,  both  very  freely 
as  a  drench  and  externally  as  a  wash,  mixed  with  equal  parts 
of  hartshorn. 

Stinging  Scorpions. — These  arfe  strange  creatures,  inhabiting 
the  same  regions  as  the  centipede.  They  are  every-where, 
and  infest  every  place — houses,  stables,  piles  of  plank  and  of 
wood,  and  almost  every  hole  and  crevice.  They  dart  from 
their  retreat  with  almost  the  swiftness  of  lightning,  and, 
dropping  upon  some  person  or  animal,  seek  to  hide  under 
the  clothing  or  the  thickest  hair,  and,  if  molested  in  any 
manner,  are  sure  to  sting  whatever  they  may  be  upon.  Their 
sting  is  not  often  fatal ;  it  is  somewhat  more  severe  than  that 
of  a  wasp  or  hornet,  and,  although  hurting  but  little  at  first, 
the  pain  becomes  very  acute  in  about  half  an  hour  afterward. 

The  symptoms  are  very  peculiar.  The  first  sensation  of 
pain  is  felt  under  the  tongue,  which  organ  remains  nearly 


396  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

paralyzed  for  a  considerable  time.  Swelling  and  heat  pro 
ceed  from  the  region  of  the  wound,  with  the  accompani- 
ments of  nausea  and  giddiness.  In  the  human  being,  these 
symptoms  sometimes  terminate  fatally,  but  to  what  precise 
degree  the  sting  affects  the  horse  is  not  so  well  known. 
That  it  is  j)oisonou8  and  exceedingly  painful  to  horses  and 
cattle  is  undoubted ;  but  as  stock  runs  at  large  in  that  country 
of  universal  grass,  opportunities  to  trace  the  effects  of  the 
sting  in  their  cases  have  not  been  very  favorable. 

In  Texas,  w^hisky  is  the  antidote  for  all  ills.  When  stung 
by  the  scorpion,  the  people  have  recourse  to  the  beverage  at 
once,  using  it  bountifully  both  internally  and  externally,  and 
thus  obtain  relief  in  a  short  time.  The  treatment  in  the 
case  of  the  horse  will  be  of  the  same  character. 

Hornets^  Wasps,  etc. — These  do  not  often  sting  the  horse, 
and  are  never  very  hurtful,  so  that  a  simple  prescription  to 
relieve  the  pain  will  be  all  that  is  necessary.  The  first  thing 
to  be  done  is  to  press  the  large  end  of  a  thimble  around  the 
sting,  so  as  to  make  a  deep  indentation  in  the  skin,  and  then 
to  w^ash.the  place  with  onion-juice,  or  with  hartshorn  and 
oil,  mixed  in  the  proportions  of  three  parts  of  hartshorn  to 
one  of  oil.  Hot  salt  and  water  is  equal  to  any  thing  ever 
used  as  a  wash  after  the  sting  of  bees  or  wasps. 

In  a  few  instances,  the  potato- fly  or  bug  has  poisoned  the 
horse.  For  this,  grease  the  surface  aftected,  dnd  in  two  hours 
wash  off  with  soap-suds,  and  when  dry  apply  the  decoction 
of  yellow-root  or  golden  seal.  Continue  alternating  with 
these  applications  until  the  horse  is  quite  well. 

Gadflies,  Gnats,  etc. — This  will  be  the  proper  connection 
in  which  to  consider  the  ravages  of  certain  insects  not  really 
poisonous,  but  more  dreaded  by  the  stock-raisers  of  the 
South-west  than  the  reptiles,  etc.,  that  are. 

Tobacco- smoke  will  keep  away  gnats,  gadflies,  and  mos- 
quitoes. Green  pennyroyal  placed  on  the. head,  under  the 
top  of  the  bridle,  will  also  drive  them  away;  or  they  may 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.      397 

be  kept  at  bay  by  rubbing  the  body  and  legs  with  a  handful 
of  the  green  herb.  Any  of  the  essential  oils  rubbed  on  the 
parts  which  they  especially  infest  will  keep  them  away. 

There  is  a  species  of  large  gnat,  known  as  the  "  buffalo- 
gnat,"  about  one-third  as  large  as  the  common  house-fl}-, 
that  is  a  terror  to  the  horse,  mule,  and  deer  of  the  regions 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  large  river  swamps  of  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi, but  which  does  not  often  trouble  other  animals.  It 
makes  its  appearance  on  the  first  warm  days  of  spring,  and 
comes  in  swarms  of  millions,  which  attack  their  victim  with 
a  murderous  ferocity.  They  cover  his  side,  flanks,  belly, 
breast,  head,  and  neck;  the  nostrils  and  ears  are  literally 
filled  with  them ;  and,  unless  prevented,  they  will  even  crawl 
up  into  the  nasal  cavities,  so  as  to  fairly  strangle  the  horse 
to  death.  It  is  not  at  all  uncommon  for  them  to  kill  both 
horses  and  mules. 

Perhaps  fifty  times,  while  riding  through  the  regions 
named,  have  we  been  compelled  to  get  a  bush  and  brush 
away  at  the  gnats,  while  the  horse  went  at  the  top  of  his 
speed  to  the  nearest  house,  there  to  receive  a  smearing  of  lard 
and  tar,  the  only  thing  that  would  keep  his  insatiate  tor- 
mentors at  bay. 

In  1862,  a  regiment  of  Confederate  cavalry  encamped  in 
Holmes  County,  Mississippi,  near  where  the  author  was  then 
residing.  Thirty-five  mules,  belonging  to  the  wagon-train, 
were  destroyed  by  butfalo-gnats  in  one  night — a  fact  of 
which  we  had  personal  knowledge. 

Hunters  often  build  large  fires,  iyid  set  old  trees  and 
stumps  on  fire,  and  the  deer  coming  and  standing  in  the 
smoke  to  get  rid  of  the  gnats  are  often  shot  down  by  the 
hunter  from  his  ambush.  In  this  way,  numbers  of  unsus- 
pecting animals  are  sometimes  killed.  The  deer  all  leave 
the  swamps  for  the  interior  when  the  gnats  are  unusually 
tormenting.  The  buflalo-gnat  never  attacks  the  human  being. 
The  swarms  in  which  it  always  moves  come  all  at  once,  and  go 
the  same  way.  They  remain  usually  about  six  weeks,  and  in 
one  day's  time  will  all  be  gone,  so  quick  is  their  disappearance. 


398  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Every  negro  on  the  cotton  plantations  of  the  infested  dis 
tricts  knows  what  to  do  when  the  gnats  come,  and  there  is 
not  one  of  those  plantations  on  which  a  bucket  of  tar  and 
lard  is  not  carried  to  the  field,  each  morning,  in  the  season 
for  gnats,  nor  a  horse  or  mule  but  is  thoroughly  smeared 
with  them.  The  mixture  is  composed  of  one  part  of  tar  to 
two  parts  of  lard,  and  of  this  a  very  thin  coat  is  spread  upon 
those  parts  of  the  animal  where  the  gnats  light  to  suck 
his  blood.  Coal  oil  is  very  efficient  in  keeping  the  gnats  at 
bay,  but  its  effects  do  not  last  like  those  of  the  tar  mixture. 

The  Borer-worm. — This  is  the  larva,  or  maggot,  of  a  hairy 
or  wooly  fly  that  infests  the  plains  of  Texas,  and  is  the  ter- 
ror of  the  cattle  and  horses  of  the  prairies,  large  numbers 
of  whom  the  borer- worm  destroys  annually.  Woe  be  to  the 
unlucky  cow  or  pony  that  has  the  misfortune  to  receive  a 
cut  or  puncture,  or  a  wound  of  any  kind,  sufficient  to  draw 
blood;  for  this  fly  is  sure  to  be  there,  and  to  deposit  its 
eggs  within  the  wound.  From  that  moment  the  animal  is 
doomed.  The  worm  is  furnished  with  an  augur-like  fang, 
with  w^hich  he  penetrates  into  the  flesh ;  and  this  is  the  be- 
ginning of  the  borer-worm's  bunch. 

The  animals  of  the  prairie  all  manifest  an  instinctive  dread 
otf  these  flies,  and  when  the  skin  is  cut  or  torn  in  any  man- 
ner, so  that  blood  flows  from  it,  they  appear  to  be  aware  of 
their  danger.  As  the  fly  comes  about,  the  alarmed  creature 
starts  to  run  away.  This  is  the  sure  means  of  collecting 
hundreds  of  these  flies,  which  dart  with  lightning-like  veloc- 
ity upon  the  warm  and  oozing  blood  and  deposit  their  eggs, 
and  the  work  of  destruction  at  once  begins.  The  victim 
stops  when  completely  tired  out,  and  begins  to  exert  himself 
to  drive  these  terrible  enemies  away.  Had  he  done  so  at 
first,  perhaps  his  chances  would  have  been  better.  But  now 
the  fearful  work  once  commenced,  the  poor  creature  yields 
to  his  dreadful  fate,  and  thousands  upon  thousands  of  mag- 
gots are  soon  busy  within  the  wound.  As  the  part  inflames 
it  swells  to  an  enormous  size,  the  worms,  meanwhile,  contin- 


POISONS,  POISONOUS  SNAKES  AND  INSECTS,  ETC.     399 

uing.  to  bore  deeper  and  deeper,  and  to  imbed  themselves 
lower  down  in  the  flesh.  While  the  first  army  of  maggots 
is  thus  ravenously  seeking  for  new  flesh  and  fresh  blood,  the 
fly  deposits  new  recruits,  that  soon  follow^  the  others  in  search 
of  untasted  tissues,  on  which  to  feast  themselves.  The  skin 
forms  a  sack  or  bag  to  hold  the  perforated  parts  and  keep 
them  from  sloughing  oft',  and  these  parts  become  a  fungous, 
spongy  mass  of  inflamed  and  rotten  flesh,  whence  constantly 
exudes  a  purulent,  offensive  matter,  which  constitutes  the 
food  of  the  fly  and  the  home  of  the  ijiaggot,  or  borer- worm. 

The  head  and  shoulders  are  the  parts  most  frequently  at- 
tacked, but  no  w^ounded  member  or  surface  escapes.  The 
magnitude  of  the  borer- worm  bunch,  and  the  quantities  of 
these  vampires  that  they  often  contain,  are  perfectly  incred- 
ible. The  bunch  has  been  seen  upon  the  horses,  cattle,  buf- 
falo, and  deer,  of  all  dimensions,  from  the  size  of  a  man's 
hand  up  to  that  of  a  bushel-basket,  and  has  been  found  to 
contain  not  merely  quarts,  but  absolutely  bushels  of  the  mag- 
got-worm Of  course,  death  soon  comes  to  the  relief  of  the 
wretched  animal,  and  mercifully  puts  an  end  to  tortures  in- 
conceivable. 

On  the  great  plains  of  the  West,  the  buffaloes,  wald  horses, 
and  deer  often  fall  a  prey  to  the  fearful  rapacity  of  the  borer- 
worm,  bunches  of  which  they  have  been  seen  carrying  upon 
their  bodies  of  such  enormous  bulk  that  no  one  could  be- 
lieve the  accounts  given  of  them,  unless  his  own  eyes  had 
seen  them.  Droves  of  wolves  follow  these  poor  animals 
night  and  day,  hanging  around  them  until  they  become  so 
weak  as  to  be  unable  longer  to  defend  themselves,  when 
they  are  devoured  by  the  hungry  pack. 

A  writer  in  the  "  Waverly  Magazine,"  a  few  years  since, 
gave  a  most  graphic,  yet  sickening,  description  of  th^  rav- 
ages of  the  borer- worm,  under  the  caption  of  the  "  Mag^'oty 
Buffalo."  The  author  of  this  work,  when  in  Texas  in  1851, 
saw  cases  of  the  kind  above  described,  although  none  in  their 
most  advanced  stages,  and  often  heard  the  people  of  that 
region  recount  the  horrible  operations  of  this  terrible  scourge. 


400  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

It  was  considered  a  certain  death  for  the  borer-fly  to  be 
gin  depositing  its  eggs  within  any  sore,  unless  the  cattle 
were  herded  in  pens,  and  the  worms  destroyed  by  the  free 
use  of  turpentine ;  and  even  this  was  not  always  effective. 
When  in  the  stable,  the  horse  was  not  disturbed,  and  if  he 
happened  to  be  wounded  in  any  manner,  could  be  more 
easily  caught  and  handled,  and  the  injured  surface  readily 
protected  from  the  fly  until  it  healed. 

It  was  there  conceded  that  turpentine  was  not  a  certain 
means  of  destroying  the  worm  in  all  cases,  and,  to  be  suc- 
cessful, must  be  constantly  and  vigorously  applied,  the  ani- 
mal being  kept  in  a  lot  or  pen  for  this  purpose  until  entirely 
well.  We  believe  that  we  have  a  remedy  exactly  adapted  to 
meet  the  requirements"  of  this  case — one  of  which  it  needs 
but  one  or  two  free  applications  to  reach  the  bottom  of  the 
deepest  abscess,  and  one  that  is  certain  death  to  vermin  of 
all  kinds.  This  is  the  corrosive  liniment.  Cut  open  the 
bunch  and  expose  the  worms ;  then  pour  into  it  a  not  stinted 
quantity  of  the  liniment,  which  will  surely  kill  the  worm  as 
soon  as  it  touches  him. 

The  corrosive  liniment  possesses  the  peculiarity  of  great 
penetrating  powers  beyond  all  others  we  ever  tried.  Used 
in  the  manner  here  laid  down,  it  will  be  quickly  carried  to 
every  part  of  the  abscess,  and  prove  the  swift  destruction  of 
the  horse's  formidable  enemy.  Aside  from  its  many  other 
highly  important  applications  in  veterinary  practice,  it  will 
be,  in  this  respect  alone,  a  boon  of  incalculable  value  to  the 
stock-raisers  of  Texas  and  the  great  prairies  of  the  South- 
west generally. 


I  4- 


FOOD  AND  feENEKAL  TREATMENT.  401 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT. 

With  this  chapter  we  enter  upon  another  division  of  our 
work — the  consideration  of  the  horse's  food,  treatment,  and 
management  generally.  Here  an  interesting  field  of  investi- 
gation opens  before  us,  and  one  of  primary  importance  to 
every  owner  of  the  horse.  Possibly  this  department  of  our 
subject  should  have  had  the  precedence  of  all  others,  since, 
upon  a  proper  attention  to  and  observance  of  the  luws  which 
we  here  find  in  uniform  operation,  depends  entirely  the  ani- 
mal's health,  and  hardly  less  his  good  qualities.  We  are 
of  the  opinion  that  t^ie  matter  of  diet — its  adaptation,  espe- 
cially, to  the  varying  ages  and  conditions  of  the  horse  and 
to  the  changing  seasons  of  the  year — has  more  to  do  with  the 
improvement  of  blood  and  the  development  of  fine  qualities 
than  any  other  consideration  whatever. 

Many  farmers  say  that  they  "  have  an  unvarying  rule  in 
the  treatment  of  their  horses."  I^ow,  this  is  simply  an 
avowal  that  they  have  adopted  a  .course  of  most  inconsistent 
and  ruinous  management — a  course  that  at  one  season  of  the 
year  will  overfeed  the  horse  and  engorge  his  whole  system, 
and  at  another  will  starve  and  impoverish  him ;  a  course  that 
may  be  advantageous  so  long  as  he  remains  in  health,  but 
detrimental  in  the  extreme  when  disease  begins  its  insidious 
approaches. 

The  system  of  the  horse  varies  in  its  capabilities,  its  con- 
ditions, and  its  needs  as  much  as  that  of  the  human  being. 
Some  horses  can  live  and  thrive  upon  certain  kinds  of  food 
that  others  can  not  eat  without  being  greatly  injured,  and 
the  condition  of  the  same  horse  may  vary  so  much  that  what 
is  proper  and  healthful  at  one  time  ought  to  be  absolutely 
26 


402  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

prohibited  at  another;  or  it  may  be  that  the  horse,  from 
the  efiects  of  disease,  can  hardly  be  induced  to  eat  any  thing 
at  all.  Therp  is  a  similar  difference  in  regard  to  tl\e  chang- 
ing seasons  of  the  year.  The  farmer  who  pursues  exactly 
the  same  system  of  feeding  and  treatment  in  the  summer 
that  he  did  in  the  winter,  will  find  his  team  becoming  fat  at 
one  time  and  thin  at  another — lively  at  one  time  and  stupid 
at  another;  now  in  fine  condition,  and  then  in  bad  plight 
and  poor  health. 

A  difference  likewise  exists  between  spring  and  fall,  espe- 
cially the  close  of  the  latter,  toward  winter — ^between  the 
shedding  of  the  hair,  which  takes  place  in  the  former,  and 
its  increased  warmth  and  thickness  in  the  latter.  The  case 
is  the  same  when  We  contrast  the  circumstances  of  work  and 
rest,  or  of  hard  labor  and  mild  exercise.  A  horse  regularly 
and  severely  tasked  needs  more  and  stronger  food  than  one 
which  stands  most  of  the  time  in  the  stable,  being  exercised 
but  seldom,  and  then  quite  moderately.  The  food  needful 
for  the  one  will  kill  the  other,  or,  at  least,  occasion  serious 
disease.  Many  of  the  serious  ailments  of  the  horse  arise 
from  an  unreasonable  adherence  to  one  certain  system  of 
keeping.  Upon  the  farm,  the  animal  works  hard  through 
the  spring  season,  and  until  after  harvest ;  then  a  time  of 
rest  comes  on,  when  he  has  but  little  or  nothing  to  do ;  and 
still  the  ignorant  owner  gives  the  same  full,  strong  diet  as 
ever.  If  such  a  horse  does  not  fall  off  in  flesh,  his  appear- 
rance  of  fattening  is  pretty  sure  to  be  attended  by  the  influ- 
ence of  some  dire  disease  that  is  being  generated  in  his 
system. 

Then  the  horse  in  low  condition  requires  a  different  keep- 
ing from  the  one  in  fine  plight  and  spirits ;  and  so  does  the 
colt  from  the  old  or  mature  horse.  Seasons  vary;  age,  con- 
dition, health,  and  labor  vary;  and  a  rational  and  generous 
management  must  vary  its  details,  also,  in  a  corresponding 
degree.  The  rudiments  of  a  proper,  systematic  knowledge 
of  the  business  of  the  farmer  and  breeder  consist  in  a  thor- 
^  ough  acquaintance  with  the  varying  wants  of  the  horse  under 


POOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.        403 

all  the  modifications  of  his  circumstances  and  suiroundings; 
and  to  learn  the  laws  bearing  upon  this  subject  should  be  the 
study,  as  it  certainly  is  the  interest,  of  all  owners  of  the 
horse  every- where.  It  will  be  our  object,  in  this  chapter,  to 
throw  what  light  we  can  upon  these  important  matters,  and 
to  present  a  few  plain  and  practical  directions  in  regard  to 
the  best  methods  to  be  pursued. 

There  are  two  conditions,  already  adverted  to,  in  which  the 
horse  demands  stronger  feed,  and  more  of  it,  than  any  others — 
hard  service  and  cold  weather.  In  the  spring  season,  !N^a- 
ture,  that  has  wrapped  herself  for  months  in  a  covering  of 
snow  to  resist  the  severities  of  winter,  now  throws  off  her 
mantle,  and  undergoes  a  change  throughout  her  entire  ma- 
terial organism.  Her  law,  in  this  regard,  is  universal,  and 
nothing  is  more  plainly  subject  to  and  affected  by  it  than 
the  horse.  His  coat  is  shed,  his  skin  changed,  his  blood 
thinned,  and  his  digestion  altered  to  some  extent.  His  stom- 
ach will  not  digest,  neither  does  his  body  req^uire,  the  food 
that  was  needed  during  the  cold  of  winter.  That  season, 
with  itb;  pressing  demands  upon  the  vital  energies,  has  gone ; 
the  frame  has  now  relaxed,  and  less  food,  and  milder,  will 
meet  all  -the  animal's  wants,  under  the  gentle  influence  of 
spring.  All  Nature  has  been  dead  and  dry  for  nearly  half  a 
year ;  and  the  body  that  has  been  fortifying  itself  with  stimu- 
lating food  and  warm  clothing,  with  thickened  skin  and  a 
denser  coat  of  hair,  to  meet  the  rigors  and  exactions  of 
winter,  now  needs  no  longer  the  concentrated  substances  of 
the  dry  food  and  strong  diet. 

But  while  the  body  has  thus  been  changing,  in  harmony 
with  Nature,  so  that  it  now  requires  other  food,  Nature  has 
been  at  work  preparing  for  this  very  emergency.  It  is  the 
Creator's  own  beneficient  provision,  for  the  health  and  com- 
fort of  the  brute  creation,  that  he  has  clothed  the  fields  with 
verdure,  and  there  is  nothing  so  pleasant  or  healthful  to  the 
horse  as  the  pasture. 


41 


404 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


PASTURING. 

The  horse  that  is  not  allowed  a  run  on  pasture  in  the 
spring  is  pretty  sure  to  suffer  in  consequence.  His  condition 
will  be  likely  to  continue  bad  for  months;  yet,  such  is  the 
invulnerability  of  Nature  to  the  impressions  of  the  most  un- 
favorable external  influences,  that  perhaps  he  may  speedily 

recover  from  the  efi:ect8  of  this  de- 
privation. But  it  can  hardly  fail  to 
come  about  that  he  will  be  more  stu- 
pid than  otherwise,  and  he  9ften  mani- 
fests his  desire  for  the  open  air  and 
sweet-scented  grass  by  a  restiveness 
and  whickering  while  in  the  stable, 
and  when  out  of  doors  by  seizing 
every  lock  of  grass  within  his  reach. 
Pasture  is  the  horse's  natural  food,  as  the  open  air  is  his 
natural  stable  and  home.  The  horse  domesticated  is  a  slave; 
the  stable  is  his  prison ;  the  bridle  and  harness  are  his  chains 
and  fetters;  and  much  of  his  prepared  food  is  unnatural,  and 
not  to  be  really  relished,  except  by  an  appetite  depraved  by 
long  habit.  Even  when  pure,  a  great  deal  of  his  prepared 
food  is  not  healthy.     Much  of  it  is  very  heating  to  the  blood, 

and  possesses  a  strong  tendency  to 
produce  disease,  so  that  very  few 
horses  fed  exclusively  upon  it  can 
be  said  to  be  entirely  well. 

To  all  these  evils  pasture  is  an 
antidote.  It  is  both  food  and 
medicine  to  the  horse,  and  he  is 
hardly  ever  unwell  when  constantly  at  pasture.  If  he  is  cos- 
tive, this  will  loosen  his  bowels ;  if  his  digestion  is  bad,  the 
grass  will  regulate  it ;  if  his  coat  is  rough  and  staring,  there 
is  the  remedy ;  if  the  skin  is  tight  and  the  joints  are  stiff,  the 
grass  will  relax  and  loosen  them — will  cleanse  the  blood,  open 
the  capillaries,  send  out  the  oily  fluids  to  the  surface,  and 
soon  transform  the  poor  jade  into  a  fine  horse,  with  glossy 
coat  and  nimble  limbs. 


w 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TEEATMENT.  405 

Disease,  except  from  accident,  is  but  seldom  a  tenant  of 
the  pasture.  j^Tearly  all  the  disorders  of  the  horse  are  gen- 
erated in  the  stable,  and  were 
it  not  for  the  pasture  in  which 
they  are  sometimes  permitted 
to  run,  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  horses  would  be  sick 
that  are  now  in  tolerable 
health.  It  is  well  that  pasture 
is  provided  during  one-half 
the  year,  so  that  the  damage 
done  in  the  stable  during  the 
other  half  may  be  repaired. 
There  is  no  need  that  the  latter  should  ever  occur.  And 
this  leads  us  to  speak  of  the  different  kinds  of    • 

GRASSES. 

If  more  attention  were  paid  to  securing  these  for  use 
during  the  winter,  there  would  be  less  sickness  among  the 
farmer's  horses.  There  is  considerable  diversity  in  the  char- 
acter and  value  of  different  grasses,  some  possessing  a  much 
greater  proportion  of  nutriment  than  .others.  Others  are 
especially  adapted  for  pasture  in  the  spring  season,  as  they 
come  up  very  quickly  but  do  not  last  so  well.  They  can  not  en- 
dure the  heat  and  drouth  of  summer,  but  wither  and  dry  up* 

Other  kinds  of  grass  are  more  hardy;  so -that,  although 
fhe  old  straw  may  die  in  August  and  September,  they  spring 
up  again  from  the  roots  and  seeds  of  the  old  stock.  Such 
are  the  clovers,  the  herd's-grass,  and  some  others.  They 
drop  their  seed  in  the  fall  season,  and  these  lie  on  the  ground 
until  spring.  Then  they  come  up,  very  small  at  first,  but 
continue  to  grow,  and  become  the  fine,  tender  grass  of  the 
fall  pastures.  The  roots  of  these  are  what  shoot  up  and 
make  the  pastures  of  spring.  Such  grasses  are  termed  jper- 
ennials;  that  is,  lasting  more  than  two  years. 

There  are  many  other  species  of  the  grasses  that  grow  up 
rankly  in  the  spring,  but  live  only  one  season,  and  these  are 


406  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

the  ones  that  constitute  the  class  called  annuals — coming 
yearly.  They  come  from  the  seed  in  spring,  but  by  fall  they 
have  withered  and  died.  There  are  several  varieties  of  them, 
prominent  among  which  are  millet,  and  the  Hungarian  and 
rescue  grasses.  The  last  of  these  is  simply  the  cheat  that  is 
so  troublesome  in  the  farmers  wheat-fields.  "When  cultivated, 
it  grows  very  thickly  and  finely,  and  for  both  pasture  and 
hay  is  the  most  valuable  among  the  annuals.  It  possesses 
more  substance  than  any  of  the  others,  and  previous  to  1860, 
at  least,  was  cultivated  very  extensively  throughout  the  cot- 
ton States,  to  whose  climate  and  soil  it  seems  particularly 
adapted. 

The  perennial  grasses  do  not  thrive  below  the  latitude  of 
thirty-five,  or  the  Southern  border  of  Tennessee.  ^None  of 
the  clovers  succeed  in  the  cotton  States.  The  soil  is  gener- 
ally sandy,  and  as  it  rains  but  seldom  from  June  to  I^ovem- 
ber,  the  long  summer  drouths  kill  out  the  roots  in  most 
localities.  All  the  perennials,  in  fact,  that  have  been  tried 
in  those  regions  have  proved  to  be  failures,  except  on  low, 
damp  grounds.  The  winter  grasses  can  not  be  made  to 
flourish  there.  The  only  kind  of  grass  that  we  have  known 
to  really  succeed  in  the  cotton  States  was  the  herd^s-grass, 
of  which  we  have  repeatedly  seen  some  fine  fields,  although 
rarely,  if  ever,  except  upon  moist  bottom  lands,  seeded  when 
first  cleared. 

ITorth  of  the  thirty-fifth  degree,  the  different  perennials 
are  all  grown  and  flourish,  modified  somewhat  by  latitude 
and  soil. 

We  will  here  enumerate  the  various  kinds  of  grasses  ordi- 
narily cultivated  throughout  the  West  and  South,  specifying 
the  relative  value  of  each  for  grazing  purposes,  as  also  the 
latitude  and  soil  best  suited  to  them. 

First  among  the  many,  and  having  a  pre-eminence  over 
all  others  for  pasturing,  is  the  hlue-grass  of  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee.  It  is  a  small,  fine  grass,  growing  about  a  foot 
high,  with  an  abundance  of  small  leaves  at  the  bottom.  The 
top,  or  seed,  resembles  that  of  the  herd's-grass,  but  it  is 


FOOD  AND  GENEKAL  TREATMENT.  407 

smaller  and  has  a  brighter,  greener,  look ;  and  there  is  this 
difference,  also,  between  it  and  the  herd's-grass,  that  it  mats 
the  ground  very  thickly  with  bottom  leaves.  It  lasts  through 
the  winter,  and,  under  favorable  circumstances,  the  roots  will 
not  die  for  years.  It  sheds  an  abundance  of  seed  in  the  sum- 
mer and  fall,  and  on  soils  adapted  to  its  growth,  if  it  once 
secures  a  hold,  it  will  overrun  the  country  far  and  wide ; 
and  fields,  pastures,  door-yards,  and  roadsides,  all  alike  be- 
come carpeted  with  its  soft,  green  texture.  It  is  the  most 
beautiful  grass  in  field  or  yard  that  grows. 

Blue-grass  is  also  the  most  nutritious  of  the  grasses,  and 
very  sweet,  so  that  stock  of  all  kinds  feed  upon  it  with  great 
avidity,  and  thrive  exceedingly.  Upon  limestone  soils  it 
grows  and  spreads  almost  spontaneously,  but  upon  others  is 
cultivated  with  considerable  difiiculty.  North  of  the  latitude 
of  forty,  or  south  of  thirty-five,  it  does  not  flourish  well.  It 
does  not  grow  high  enough  to  be  of  much  value  for  any  other 
than  grazing  purposes,  yet  the  tops  may  be  easily  cut  off  with 
the  scythe,  and  the  seed  saved,  in  the  months  of  June  and 
July. 

Next  after  the  blue-grass,  come  the  clovers — the  white  and 
red — which  are  so  well  known 'every- where  that  they  need 
no  description.  To  both  of  them  there  are  some  objections 
for  pasture  grasses.  They  act  upon  the  salivary  glands,  and 
cause  an  excessive  flow  of  saliva  from  the  mouth,  producing 
that  debilitating  and  disagreeable  affection  known  as  slaver- 
ing, or  slobbering.  The  white  clover  is  decidedly  more  ob- 
jectionable in  this  respect  than  the  red,  and  neither  of  them^ 
should  be  allowed  the  horse  when  he  is  at  hard  labor. 

Although  it  is  generally  supposed  to  weaken  the  healthy 
animal's  strength,  if  the  horse  is  diseased  or  in  low  condi-^ 
tion,  nothing  will  be  of  more  benefit  to  him  than  a  run  upon 
a  good  white  clover-pasture.  This  increased  action  of  thd 
salivary  glands,  this  slobbering,  is  not  hurtful  in  his  case,  but 
just  the  reverse.  The  red  clover,  while  less  nutritious  than 
the  white,  is  more  hardy,  and  in  respect  to  quantity  yields- 
much  better,  whether  of  pasture  or  hay. 


% 


408  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  herdls-grass  and  the  timothy  are  next  in  the  list 
Neither  of  them  are  of  much  value  for  grazing  purposes. 
The  herd's-grass  is  the  preferable  of  the  two,  from  its  more 
abundant  yield,  yet  the  other  is  the  most  nutritious.  Either 
makes  a  very  indifferent  pasture,  and  one  that  does  not  last 
well  through  the  season.  One  acre  of  well-set  blue-grass-  is 
worth  three  times  as  much  as  either  of  them,  if  their  quali- 
ties as  pasture  grasses  are  alone  taken  into  consideration. 

These  are  all  the  grasses  that  possess  much  merit  for  graz- 
ing purposes.  The  clovers  grow  in  all  latitudes  north  of 
thirty -five  degrees,  flourishing  best  on  rich,  dry  uplands,' and 
upon  all  soils  about  equally,  excepting  the  sandy.  This  is 
also  the  case  with  the  timothy,  but  the  herd's-grass  is  par- 
ticularly partial  to  low  and  moist  situations. 

HAY  AND   FODDER. 

The  grasses  which  are  best  for  pasture  are  not  so  for  hay. 
While  the  blue-grass  stands  at  the  head  of  the  list,  for  the 
former  purpose,  timothy  ranks  first  in  respect  to  the  other. 
It  possesses  more  nutrition,  and  retains  it  better,  when 
properly  harvested,  than  any  other  grass.  The  herd's-grass 
comes  next,  but  this  has  more  juicy  matter  in  its  stalk,  and 
of  this  much  evaporates,  of  course,  in  drying.  The  white 
clover  loses  still  more  from  this  cause,  and  the  red  clover 
most  of  all.  Good,  ripe  timothy  loses  only  about  one-fifth 
its  weight  in  curing ;  herd's-grass,  two-fifths ;  w^hite  clover, 
one-half,  ■  and  red  clover  about  three-fifths.  In  substance, 
they  vary  about  the  same,  or  in  the  proportions  of  from  one 
to  three;  and  as  to  healthfulness,  although  their  relative 
values  can  not  be  determined  with  the  same  precision,  they 
are  to  be  esteemed  in  the  same  order,  the  timothy  being 
much  the  best. 

Many  of  the  annuals  make  tolerable  feed  when  well  saved, 
but  are  not  near  so  valuable  as  the  grasses.  They  are  often 
termed  grasses  in  their  green  state,  and  when  cured,  hay ; 
but  we  prefer  to  class  them  all  as  fodder.  The  rescue-grass 
is  the  best,  being  fully  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  red  clover 


'*■•■ 
FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  409 

in  substance,  and  decidedly  excelling  it  on  the  score  of  health- 
fulness.  'Next  is  the  Hungarian  grass,  which  requires  a  rich 
soil  and  favorable  season.  The  millet,  which  holds  the  third 
place  in  the  list,  is  little  better  than  wheat  or  oat-straw,  ex- 
cept for  the  seed  that  it  bears.  A  horse  fed  through  a  whole 
winter  on  this  kind  of  fodder  would  almost  starve  to  death. 

Another  kind  of  fodder,  and  one  much  more  extensivel}^ 
used  than  any  of  the  annual  grasses,  is  the  corn  fodder,  ob- 
tain-ed  by  pulling  the  blades  from  the  stalk,  in  the  month  of 
August,  and,  after  allowing  them  to  dry,  binding  them  in 
bundles,  and  storing  them  for  winter  use.  This  possesses 
considerable  nutrition,  or  rather  substance,  but  is,  undoubt- 
edly, injurious  in  its  tendency  upon  the  health  and  general 
condition  of  the  horse.  It  appears  to  dry  up  the  blood  in  a 
most  remarkable  manner,  and  from  its  great  bi-ittleness — 
causing  it  to  chop  up  easily  into  a  harsh,  dry  powder — it  is 
apt  to  harm  the  throat.  It  constitutes  nearly  the  sole  de- 
pendence for  foddfer  in  the  cotton  States,  where  all  the  Helds 
of  corn  are  regularly  stripped  of  their  blades,  in  August,  for 
this  purpose.  To  the  extensive  use  of  corn  fodder  we  at- 
tribute much  of  the  unhealthiness  of  the  horse  at  the  South  ; 
but  this  subject  having  been  already  discussed  at  some  length, 
in  our  descriptions  of  big  head,  it  hardly  seems  necessary  to 
enlarge  upon  it  here. 

The  different  straws  of  wheat,  rye,  and  oats  possess  a 
limited  amount  of  substance — about  one-twentieth  as  much 
as  does  good  timothy  hay;  but  they  are  so  very  dry  that 
they  can  not  be  regarded  as  of  much  value  to  the  horse. 
They  may  be  used  as  chopped  feed,  with  meal  or  provender ; 
but  the  horse  has  such  a  disrelish  for  them  in  any  other  form, 
that  he  will  not  eat  them  until  driven  to  it  by  starvation. 

All  these  varieties  of  fodder  and  straw  seem  much  better 
suited  to  the  wants  of  other  animals  than  the  horse.  For  his 
use  they  are  too  dry,  and  tax  the  salivary  glands  too  much 
in  the  process  of  mastication ;  and  so  with  those  agencies  of 
the  stomach  which  soften  the  food  down  into  chyme.  In 
giving  such  feed  to  the  horse,  it  should  always  be  chopped, 


$ 


410  AMEKICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

then  moisteDed  for  an  hour  at  least,  and,  finally,  rolled  in  meal 
or  provender.  By  this  course,  all  its  injurious  effects  upon 
the  glands  and  throat  will  be  entirely  prevented. 

Dry  hay  of  all  sorts  should  be  prepared  in  the  same  way. 
Time  can  not  be  better  employed  than  in  providing  moist 
feed  for  the  horse  to  eat.  To  many  the  idea  of  chopping 
hay  for  the  regular  feed  may  seem  novel,  and,  perhaps,  amus- 
ing. But  let  the  farmer  try  ii^  for  one  winter,  and  note  the 
improved  condition  of  his  horse,  as  well  as  the  great  saving 
of  feed,  and  he  will  fully  indorse  the  opinion  that  time  can 
not  be  spent  to  better  advantage.  Corn-stalks  and  fodder, 
though  they  may  be  greatly  improved  by  chopping,  can  not 
be  made  suitable  food  for  the  horse. 

The  condition  in  which  the  hay  and  fodder  are  secured  is 
of  the  first  importance.  The  grass  should  be  cut  about  the 
time  of  maturity,  or  a  little  before,  while  still  in  bloom,  and 
before  it  becomes  dead  ripe.  Its  juices  are  then  just  right  to 
make  the  heaviest  and  best  hay,  which  will  keep  better,  re- 
main sweeter,  and  be  more  palatable  than  if  cut  either  earlier 
or  later.  If  cut  when  quite  immature,  there  is  a  lack  of 
strength  and  sweetness,  as  well  as  a  loss  in  weight ;  and  if 
harvested  after  the  period  we  have  indicated,  the  hay  is 
tougher,  more  woody  in  its  texture,  and  neither  so  nutritious 
nor  pleasant  eating. 

Another  thing  of  essential  importance,  in  regard  to  secur- 
ing the  hay  and  fodder,  is  to  protect  it  from  the  weather,  and 
as  soon  as  it  is  dry  to  put  it  in  the  barn.  If  the  sun  shines, 
it  is  seldom  that  hay  requires  to  remain  out  in  the  field 
more  than  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  it  should  be  carried 
into  the  barn.  "  But,"  say  some  farmers,  "  what  shall  we  do 
who  have  no  barns?"  That  farmer  is  to  be  pitied  who  can 
not  contrive  some  means  of  putting  his  horse's  provisions 
under  proper  shelter.  He  has  no  business  to  own  a  horse, 
and  ought  to  sell  his  stock  to  some  better  and  more  success- 
ful manager.  It  is  as  important  to  have  a  barn  as  a  horse, 
and  nearly  as  much  so  to  keep  the  latter's  provisions  under 
shelter  as  those  of  his  master.    The  horse's  food  can  not  be 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  411 

allowed  to  remain  out  in  the  storm  and  weather,  there  to  rot 
and  spoil,  without  serious  consequences  to  the  animal's 
health.  Weather-beaten,  moldy,  and  mow-burnt  hay  and 
fodder  are  the  sure  instigators  of  disease;  and  in  a  large 
majority  of  the  cases  of  urinary  affections  among  horses,  the 
trouble  may  be  distinctly  traced  back  to  their  use. 

GRAIN. 

It  is  necessary  to  feed  the  horse  a  proportion  of  grain.  As 
a  general  rule,  one-half  the  food  given  him  should  be  of  this 
character,  but  to  this  there  are  exceptions,  of  course.  When 
the  horse  is  in  low  condition  or  bad  health,  or  when  he  is 
allowed  but  little  exercise,  the  quantity  of  grain  should  be 
reduced ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  if  his  labor  is  severe  and 
continuous,  he  will  need  a  larger  proportion  of  it  than  that 
here  indicated. 

There  is  even  more  difference  in  the  quality  and  value  of 
grains  as  food  for  the  horse  than  in  the  various  grasses,  and 
the  same  is  true  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
fed.  There  are  but  two  kinds  of  grain  that  are  used  to  any 
considerable  extent  in  our  country  as  food  for  the  horse,  and 
these  are  oats  and  corn.  The  former  is  fed  principally  in 
the  l^orthern  States,  while  in  most  of  the  Southern  States 
corn  alone  is  employed.  Both  are  well  known  to  every 
American  farmer,  and  together  they  form  the  great  staples 
of  the  land  for  feeding  stock  of  all  kinds. 

For  the  horse,  oats  are  much  preferable  to  corn,  under  all 
circumstances.  They  are  a  milder,  lighter  diet,  not  so  heat- 
ing to  the  blood,  and  much  more  easily  digested.  They  are 
generally  not  much  more  than  half  as  heavy  as  corn,  and 
possess  less  concentrated  nutrition  and  substance.  Although 
they  can  be  fed  with  impunity,  in  their  natural  unbroken 
state,  they  are  much  better  when  ground  into  meal  and  used 
as  provender.  In  this  way,  too,  they  can  be  used  much  more 
economically,  one-third  less  sufficing  to  meet  the  wants  of 
the  horse.  When  the  oats  are  fed  whole,  one-half  of  them 
are  generally  but  imperfectly  masticated  in  the  mouth  or 


412  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

digested  in  the  stomach.     Grinding  into  meul  remedies  this 
difficulty  entirely. 

Corn  is,  in  many  ways,  very  objectionable  as  food  for  the 
horse.  It  is  a  gross,  heavy  diet,  very  heating  to  the  blood, 
and  having  a  strong^  tendency  to  the  rapid  creation  of  a 
lymph  and  fat  that  is  never  sound  and  healthy.  It  is  the 
fruitful  source  of  more  diseases  than  all  other  kinds  of  un- 
healthy diet  combined.  It  generates  a  list  of  disorders  quite 
unknown  in  those  countries  where  it  is  not  fed  to  the  horse 
at  all,  and  many  others  that  are  common  to  the  horse  of 
all  civilized  countries  manifest  a  malignity  and  fatality  in 
America  characteristic  of  them  in  no  other  land. 

The  horse  can  hardly  ever  be  well  when  under  full  feed- 
ing of  corn,  which,  however  excellent  for  fattening  hogs,  is 
not  the  diet  for  a  horse.  The  horse's  structure  is  dift'erent, 
in  many  respects,  from  that  of  the  hog,  and  the  effects  of 
high  feeding  are  not  the  same  upon  both.  Suddenly-formed 
flesh  is  never  solid  or  healthy  in  the  case  of  the  horse ;  and. 
our  experience  has  taught  us  to  regard  corn  as  the  cause  of 
more  difficulty  and  disease  in  veterinary  practice,  in  some 
parts  of  America,  than  all  other  circumstances  combined. 
Hundreds  of  young  horses  and  colts,  and  many  of  them 
splendid  specimens  of  the  stock- raiser's  success  and  skill, 
have  we  seen  ruined  by  overfeeding  with  corn. 

While  writing' these  pages,  a  case  is  before  us  showing 
the  evils  of  gorging  a  young  horse  with  corn  to  put  him  in 
condition  for  sale.  It  is  but  a  few  days  since  that  we  were 
called  upon  to  see  a  fine,  young  horse,  in  Petersburg,  Boone 
County,  Kentucky,  valued  at  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
and  actually  sold  for  that  sum,  the  animal  to  be  delivered  in 
a  few  days.  In  one  of  his  eyes  the  water  had  a  cream-col- 
ored appearance,  and  the  other  showed  unmistakeable  signs 
of  disease.  We  bled  him ;  but  with  a  good  fleam  and  a 
heavy  blow  from  an  unusually  large  stick,  barely  succeeded 
in  penetrating  the  jugular  vein.  His  skin  was  as  hard  and 
thick  as  the  hide  of  a  bull. 

This  horse  had  been  sufi:ering  from  a  cataneous  (skin)  fever 


^?- 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  413  ' 

for  a  twelvemonth  preceding,  and  now  the  disease  was  assum- 
ing all  the  phases  of  hide-bound.  His  kidneys  and  urinary 
organs  were  seriously  affected ;  his  sheath  had  become  foul ; 
his  pulse  was  about  fifty,  and  yet  he  was  very  fat.  Right 
here  was  the  trouble,  in  fact.  He  had  been  crowded  with 
corn  every  day  to  make  him  fatter,  until,  finally,  his  eyes  had 
fallen  victims  to  the  consuming  fever  of  the  blood  and  skin; 
and  we  gave  as  the  diagnosis  of  the  case,  "Destroyed  by 
corn."  Thousands  of  similar  sad  instances  have  there  been 
in  the  history  of  American  agriculture  and  stock-raising. 
But  perhaps  some  will  suggest  that  the  horse  probably  had 
"naturally  weak  eyes."  This  was  not  the  case,  by  any 
means ;  we  never  saw  a  finer  formed  eye  than  his.  There  was 
no  trouble  there.  The  difliculty  all  proceeded  from  the  in- 
judicious feeding,  which  no  horse  of  his  age  could  bear  with- 
out contracting  disease  of  some  kind.  If  we  had  seen  the 
animal  two  months  earlier,  the  mischief  might  have  been 
prevented. 

Many  will  doubtless  be  ready  to  inquire  whether  they  shall 
not  feed  corn  at  all.  We  answer,  "  Yes — to  your  hogs  and 
cattle,  which  it  suits  very  well,  but  not  to  your  horse,  if  you 
have  any  thing  else  to  keep  him  upon  ;  and  if  you  must  use 
it,  the  smaller  the  proportion  of  his  feed  which  the  corn 
makes  the  better  it  will  be  for  him."  It  may  answer  very 
well  to  feed  old  horses  on  corn,  at  half  feed,  especially  if  the 
precaution  be  taken  to  keep  a  good  supply  of  wood  ashes 
always  in  the  manger.  Perhaps  the  chief  difficulty  consists 
in  biting  the  corn  from  the  cob.  In  the  case  of  young  horses, 
this  keeps  the  teeth  and  gums  sore,  and  develops  the  ten- 
dency to  fever,  which  is  especially  strong  at  that  age,  and 
hence  the  greater  extent  to  which  ttey  suffer  than  older 
animals. 

A  great  many  horses  do  not  sufficiently  masticate  the 
grain,  but  swallow  much  of  it  barely  cracked  into  pieces, 
or  sometimes  not  cracked  at  all.  Such  food  it  overtaxes 
the  stomach  to  digest;  it  heats  and  ferments,  and  then  fol- 
low all  the  evil  consequences  of  colic.   But  few  young  horses 


k 


414  AMERICAlSr  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

fed  on  com  escape  the  ^-nnoyances,  if  they  prove  no  worse, 
of  a  sour  stomach  and  constant  distension ;  nor  do  many 
older  ones  come  into  their  feed  of  corn  at  night,  after  a 
hard  day  s  work  or  a  long  drive,  without  suffering  more  or 
less  from  frequent  disturbances  of  the  digestive  process. 

Doubtless  much  of  the  evil  effect  incident  to  the  use  of 
corn  might  be  obviated  by  having  the  corn  ground,  and 
then  used  as  provender,  allowing  it  to  lie  wet  for  half  an 
hour  before  using  to  soak  and  swell.  But  this  is  too  much 
work  and  trouble  for  the  majority  of  farmers  in  this  fast  and 
busy  age.  These  exemplify  the  proverb  which  speaks  of 
"throwing  out  more  with  the  spoon  than  they  can  bring  in 
with  the  shovel."  As  we  have  repeatedly  remarked,  good 
wood  ashes  will  prove  of  great  benefit  in  connection  with  a 
regular  diet  of  corn,  since  they  tend  to  neutralize  the  acid 
condition  of  the  stomach,  and  carry  digestion  forward  in  a 
healthful  manner. 

Barley  may  be  used  as  half  feed,  but  is  nearly  as  objec- 
tionable as  corn.  Wheat-bran  and  rye  should  be  used  spar- 
ingly, as  they  act  too  powerfully  upon  the  bowels  to  be  used 
freely.  They  do  best  when  mixed  with  oat  or  corn -meal  as 
provender  to  go  upon  chopped  feed. 

.      GREEN  FEED   FOR  WINTER. 

It  is  the  work  of  economy,  and  highly  conducive  to  the 
horse's  health,  to  provide  for  his  use  during  the  wiater  as 
much  green  feed  as  possible.  He  may  be  given  carrots,  tur- 
nips, beets,  pumpkins,  and  potatoes  with  decided  advantage. 
The  first  two  of  these  are  the  best,  but  he  will  eat  any  green 
feed,  even  to  cabbages  and  apples,  with  greediness,  and  all 
are  excellent  in  their  effects  upon  his  health  and  general 
condition.  Throughout  the  winter,  every  horse  that  is  kept 
upon  dry  feed  should  have  a  green  feed  once  a  day.  If  this 
course  was  in  general  practice,  fewer  diseases  would  visit  our 
stables,  and  fine,  fat,  lively  horses  and  colts  would  multiply 
greatly. 

We  feed  both  our  cows  and  hogs  upon  slop,  and  with  this 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT. 


415 


treatment  they  are  generally  kept  healthy  and  fat.  Give  our 
horses  the  benefits  of  a  similar  practice,  and  they  will  be  as 
plump  and  sleek  as  one  could  wish  them.  The  Arab  feeds 
his  horse  upon  the  same  substances  that  he  eats  himself; 
beginning  with  the  colt,  he  trains  the  animal  to  eat  what- 
ever is  given  him ;  and  we  all  know  that  the  Arab  has  the 
finest  horse  in  the  world.  i 


^- ••  ■\-.^c"^i.  ;;> 


THE  QODOLPHIN  AEABIAN. 


Two  gallons  of  slop — of  grease  and  salt,  and  the  extract 
of  vegetables  which  have  been  boiled  in  the  liquid — will 
form  both  food  and  medicine.  Colts  may  not  only  be  taught 
when  very  young  to  relish  such  messes,  but  would  partake 
of  them  with  great  and  certain  benefit. 


GENERAL  STABLE  MANAGEMENT. 


]N"o  division  of  our  subject  is  of  more  importance  than 
this.  The  fearful  efi'ects  of  bad  stables  upon  the  health  and 
vigor  of  the  horses  of  this  country  it  would  he  almost  im- 


I 


41B  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

possible  to  compute.  Many  stables  are  but  sinks  of  filth  and 
rottenness — perfect  lazarettoes — haunts  of  disease  and  death. 
The  aggregate  amount  of  disease  and  debility  flowing  from 
this  source  is  absolutely  incalculable. 

It  is  not  so  much  the  farmer's  stables  that  are  in  fault  as 
some  of  those  of  the  towns  and  cities.  There,  many  a  home 
provided  for  the  horse  is  located  in  some  back  alley,  in  some 
low,  damp,  dark  situation,  where  there  is  little  room  and 
still  less  light  and  air,  and  where  great  piles  of  manure  are 
suffered  to  accumulate  within  and  without,  filling  the  whole 
atmosphere  with  their  reeking  fumes.  There  are  a  great 
many  exceptions  to  this  description,  of  course,  and  most  of 
our  city  livery  stables,  especially,  must  be  exempted  from 
these  charges.  These  are  generally  well  built,  conveniently 
arranged,  and  managed  with  a  judicious  carefulness  that  at 
once  removes  every  thing  ofi*ensive. 

From  the  nuisance  of  the  farmer's  stables,  his  horse  is 
each  year  allowed  a  considerable  respite  in  the  pasture.  A 
great  many  stables  in  the  country  are  neither  built  nor:  man- 
aged better  than  those  pest-houses  for  the  horse  which  we 
described  in  the  last  paragraph ;  but  the  surroundings  are 
much  .more  favorable.  There  are  generally  no  other  build- 
ings close  at  hand  to  obstruct  the  free  circulation  of  the  air 
outside  of  the  stable,  and  thus  the  dung  dries  up  rapidly, 
while  much  of  the  unwholespme  effluvia  is  carried  away  by 
the  wind. 

The  construction  of  the  stable — its  size,  form,  etc. — is  a 
matter  of  no  small  moment.  Every  ^prse  should  have  his 
stall,  which  should  be  sufficiently  large  for  him  to  turn  round 
in  it,  and  so  arranged  that  he  can  lie  down.  INTot  only  is  it 
exceedingly  tiresome  to  the  horse  to  be  compelled  to  stand 
continually  upon  his  feet,  but  it  often  proves  very  injurious. 
Soreness  and  swelling  of  the  joints  often  result  from  it,  and 
not  unfrequently  these  are  aggravated  into  permanent  stiff- 
ness. In  many  instances,  a  hurt  of  the  leg  or  joint,  received 
in  his  daily  labor,  would  pass  away  without  serious  conse- 
quences were  the  animal  allowed  to  rest  his  limbs  by  lying 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  417 

down ;   but  by  constantly  standing,  an  obstinate,  if  not  in- 
curable, disease  sets  up — ^spavin,  ring-bone,  or  the  like. 

One  of  the  first  questions  in  practical  importance,  to  be 
considered  in  the  erection  of  a  stable,  is 

LIGHT. 

Light  is  essential  to  the  growth  and  development  of  every 
object  in  the  world  that  has  existence  in  an  organized  form. 
Life  of  no  kind,  whether  animal  or  vegetable,  can  prosper 
without  it.  The  tiniest  ^pear  of  grass  must  have  light,  or  it 
loses  its  color  and  substance ;  and  the  same  law  is  true,  with- 
out variation,  throughout  all  the  higher  types  of  organism 
in  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms  alike. 

The  importance  of  light  to  the  material  world  can  hardly 
be  conceived.  "Without  light  there  could  be  no  he'at,  so  that 
our  world,  under  that  deprivation,  would  not  only  be  in  per- 
petual darkness  blacker  than  midnight,  but  it  would  be  a 
frozen  chaos.  Light  is  the  stimulating  agent  that  causes 
every  thing  upon  the  earth's  surface  to  bud  and  spring 
forth,  clothing  the  valleys  with  verdure,  the  plains  with 
waving  fields  and  ripening  orchards,  the  hill-sides  with  tow- 
ering forests,  and  making  the  whole  face  of  Mature  a  pano- 
rama of  unceasing,  yet  ever-changing,  beauty  and  gladness.. 
Life  is  dependent  upon  it  no  less  for  preservation  than  for 
creation  and  development.  Nothing  can  continue  to  live 
without  it;  and  while  it  is  true  that  animals  and  plants  can. 
not  live  upon  it,  it  is  equally  true  that  they  can  not  live  with- 
out it.  All  living  creatures — the  whole  of  animated  Nature — 
should  be  permitted  to  enjoy  it  freely  at  such  times  as  the^ 
beneficent  Creator  has  arranged  to  furnish  it  to  the  world.. 
To  deprive  any  animal  of  light  will  be  to  materially  injure 
it,  and  prove  the  occasion  of  disease,  if  not  of  death. 

What,  then,  must  be  the  condition  of  that  horse  whom  the 
ignorance,  the  heedlessness,  or  the  parsimony  of  his  owner 
condemns  to  dreary  confinement,  for  a  great  part  of  his  time,, 
in  a  dark,  close  stable?  How  can  the  effect  be  otherwise  than 
highly  detrimental  ?  Such  we  always  find  it  to  be.  To  say 
27 


418  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK:. 

nothing  of  other  diseases  either  originating  in  this  cause,  ot 
aggravated  by  it,  the  number  of  horses  that  have  lost  their 
eyesight  in  dark  stables  is  a  matter  almost  incredible.  To 
^this  wretched  defect  in  the  care  bestowed  upon  the  animal, 
'^^nearly  all  cases  of  moon-eyes  may  be  referred  in  less  or  greater 
degree.  Ko  horse  can  permanently  retain  unimpaired  vision 
if  deprived  of  light  during  the  day.  The  eye  is  naturally  the 
first  and  greatest  sufferer  from  this  deprivation,  as  this  is  the 
organ  especially  adapted  to  the  conditions  and  enjoyment  of 
light.  When  brought  suddenly  out  into  the  glare  of  day, 
the  horse  which  has  been  kept  in  a  dark  stable  is  dazzled 
and  confused  by  the  overpowering  brightness,  so  that  it  is 
some  time  before  he  is  enabled  to  see  as  well  as  usual.  Every 
time  this  takes  place,  the  trouble  is  apt  to  increase,  and  con- 
tinue longer  than  before.  By  and  by,  when  some  fever  arises, 
it  fixes  its  hold  upon  the  eyes,  which  begin  turning  white; 
and  then  the  alarmed  owner  anxiously  inquires,  "  What  is 
the  matter  with  my  horse's  eyes?  He  seems  to  be  going 
blind."  To  such  let  us  say,  emphatically,  "Your  dark  stables 
have  done  it." 

Ko  special  directions  can  be  minutely  prescribed  concern- 
ing the  best  means  of  admitting  light  into  the  stable.  Upon 
this  point  the  intelligent  owner  must  exercise  his  own  judg- 
ment and  taste.  No  rule  could  be  given,  unless  all  stables 
were  built  alike.  But,  in  general  terms,  it  may  be  laid  down 
that  the  light  should  be  somewhat  higher  than  the  horse's 
head — behind  him  rather  than  in  front — and  that,  as  to  the 
quantity  admitted,  the  stable  should  bjp  kept  nearly  as  light 
as  it  is  out-doors.  'No  stable,  it  may  be  added,  should  be 
whitewashed  inside,  unless  it  is  impossible  to  light  it  from 
without. 

VENTILATION   AND   TEMPERATURE. 

Another  matter  of  prime  importance  in  the  construction 
of  a  home  for  the  horse  is  an  abundant  provision  for  furnish- 
ing it  with  pure  air;  yet,  while  ventilation  is  thus  essen- 
tial, some  arrangement  must  be  adopted  for  protecting  the 
horse  from  the  cold  in  winter.     Ventilators  and  windows,  as 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.        419 

a  rule,  should  be  placed  higher  than  the  animars  head.  The 
flooring  and  sides  of  the  building  should  be  air-tight,  or,  if 
the  sides  can  not  be  made  so  all  the  way  up,  this  end  should 
be  secured  in  their  fitting  together  for  at  least  several  feet 
from  the  floor.  This  is  to  prevent  the  cold  winds  from  blow- 
ing directly  upon  the  horse.  Many  stables  are  so  open  that 
the  winds  can  blow  through  the  large  open  cracks  in  the 
sides  and  floors  with  stinging  keenness,  and  then  the  horse, 
fastened  in  his  stall  so  as  to  have  no  exercise  whatever,  be- 
comes chilled  throughout  his  whole  frame,  and  colds,  with 
most  serious  lung  or  constitutional  afl:eetions,  are  frequently 
brought  on.  The  horse  is  probably  more  likely  to  take  cold 
upon  any  dry,  cold  night,  when  housed  in  such  a  stable, 
than  if  he  were  running  shelterless  upon  the  common ;  be- 
cause in  the  lattet*  case  he  would  be  pretty  sure  to  avail  him- 
self of  his  freedom  to  move  about,  and  this  exercise  would 
help  to  keep  him  warm. 

On  the  other  hand,  close,  hot  stables  are  most  decidedly 
objectionable.  Except  in  very  cold  weather,  the  atmosphere 
within  the  stable  should  not  be  kept  more  than  ten  or  twelve 
degrees  above  the  temperature  out  of  doors.  It  is  not  desir- 
able to  make  the  building  warm,  so  much  as  to  shut  out  the 
cold  currents  of  air.  This  extremely  unhealthy. condition  of 
the  stable  is  much  more  common  in  the  city  than  in  the  coun- 
try, and  was  formerly  a  still  more  prevalent  evil  than  it  is  now. 

A  number  of  horses  shut  up  in  a  narrow,  close  stable  pro- 
duce, by  their  breathing,  a  most  deleterious  change  in  the 
character  of  the  air.  Each  pair  of  lungs  throws  off'  an  im- 
mense amount  of  carbonic  acid  gas,  and  with  this  the  atmos- 
phere in  a  small,  tight  apartment  soon  becomes  so  greatly 
surcharged  as  to  be  absolutely  poisonous.  Yet  how  many 
stables  are  there  in  the  United  States,  as  elsewhere  through- 
out the  civilized  world,  in  which  a  most  disproportionate 
number  of  horses  are  shut  up  all  night,  and  much  of  the  day 
besides,  with  no  aperture  left  open  for  the  escape  of  the  foul, 
fetid  air,  or  the  admission  from  without  of  that  which  is 
fresh  and  cool. 


420  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Says  Youatt,  in  treating  of  this  subject:  "What  is  the 
consequence  of  all  this?  Why,  if  one  thought  be  bestowed 
on  the  new  and  dangerous  character  which  the  air  is  assum- 
ing, it  will  be  too  evident  that  sore  throat,  swelled  legs,  and 
bad  eyes,  and  inflamed  lungs,  and  mange,*  and  grease,  and 
glanders  will  scarcely  ever  be*  long  out  of  that  stable." 

Taken  out  of  one  of  these  hot-houses  into  the  open  air, 
often  standing  for  hours  in  the  streets  fastened  to  some  hitch- 
ing-post,  while  his  master,  within  doors,  is  comfortably  toast- 
ing his  shins  before  a  blazing  fire,  the  horse  will  be  almost 
sure  to  take  cold.  The  pores  are  open,  the  system  is  relaX:ed, 
and  altogether  the  animal  is  in  a  poor  condition  indeed  to 
withstand  the  cold  and  exposure. 

In  putting  up  a  stable,  the  number  of  horses  which  it  is 
designed  to  accommodate  should  be  taken  into  careful  con- 
sideration, and  the  building  be  made  as  commodious  and  airy 
as  possible.  A  stable  for  six  horses  should  be  about  thirty- 
six  feet  long,  sixteen  feet,  wide,  and  twelve  feet  in  height  to 
the  loft,  if  there  be  any.  The  loft  should  not  extend  to  the 
side  of  the  stable  back  of  the  horses,  but  a  considerable  space, 
as  much  as  three  feet,  should  be  left  for  the  foul  air  of  the  stable 
to  ascend,  and  openings  should  be  provided  under  the  plates  for 
the  escape  of  these  gases.  This  is  the  most  judicious  plan  of 
building  a  stable,  having  it  wide,  so  that  there  may  be  a  row 
of  stalls  upon  each  side,  with  abundant  space  for  the  passage 
of  all  the  foul  air  generated  below  up  to  and  out  under  the 
roof. 

Another  very  important  matter  is  the  immediate  removal 
of  all  impure  substances  which  may  be  found  in  and  about 
the  stable,  of  what  kind  soever.  The  practice,  common  in 
some  sections,  of  throwing  the  manure  under  the  stable 
should  be  abandoned  at  once.  When  the  building  is  situated 
on  the  side  of  a  hill,  so  that  the  back  part  is  considerably 
elevated  above  the  ground,  if  will  be  very  convenient  to 
throw  out  the  manure  behind.  There  can  be  no  objection 
to  this  procedure,  if  the  manure  be  at  once  removed  in  carts, 
as  it  should  -be  in  all  cases. 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  421 

Give  the  horse  plenty  of  light  in  his  stable,  with  an  abun- 
dance of  pure,  fresh  air,  and  one  half  of  the  diseases  which 
now  infest  the  habitations  of  our  horses  will  entirely  disap- 
pear "  Of  nothing  are  we  more  certain,"  says  Youatt,  "  than 
that  the  majority  of  the  maladies  of  the  horse,  and  those  of  * 
the  worst  and  most  fatal  character,  are,  directly  or  indirectly, 
to  be  attributed  to  a  deficient  supply  of  air.  Each  of  these 
evils  is  to  be  dreaded — each  is,  in  a  manner,  watching  for  its 
prey;  and  when  they  are  combined,  more  than  half  of  the 
inmates  of  the  stables  are  often  swept  away." 

While  the  entire  system  of  the  horse  becomes  impaired  by 
his  confinement  in  close,  damp,  dark  stables,  some  particular 
organ  or  member  generally  suffers  much  more  than  the 
others.  In  regard  to  the  feet,  a  number  of  ailments  may 
thus  be  produced — hoof-rot,  scratches,  thrush,  cracked  heels, 
swelled  legs,  and  others  of  the  same  class;  while  on  the  skin 
appear  surfeit,  mange,  hide-bound,  stift*  complaint,  and  warts,  - 
with  vermin  innumerable.  But  perhaps  the  eyes  are  most 
of  all  affected  by  the  deprivation  of  light  and  the  effects  of 
foul  air,  especially  of  those  pungent  fumes  of  ammonia  which 
are  continually  arising  from  the  urine  and  the  piles  of  hot 
and  steaming  manure.  We  sincerely  believe  that  three  out 
of  every  five  cases  of  bad  eyes  which  occur  in  our  country  > 
proceed  from  these  causes.  Let  this  admonish  our  farmers 
and  stable-keepers  generally  to  remedy  these  evils  at  once,  if 
such  exist  upon  their  premises. 

FLOORING. 

The  kind  of  flooring  upon  which  the  horse  stands,  for 
months  or  years  together,  is  a  consideration  of  some  impor- 
tance to  every  owner  or  keeper  of  a  horse,  who  regards  the 
animal's  health  and  comfort  as  well  as  his  own  convenience. 
There  are  three  kinds  of  floors  in  common  use  throughout 
American  stables,  which  we  name  in  the  order  of  our  pref- 
erence, as  follows:  The  dirt  or  gravel  floor,  the  wood  or 
plank  floor,  and  the  flagstone  or  pavement. 

The  horse  prospers  best  on  the  dirt  or  gravel  floor.    It  is 


.A 


422  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

not  so  hard  as  the  others,  and  is  both  cooler  in  summer 
and  warmer  in  winter.  The  only  objection  to  it  is  the 
loss  of  a  great  part  of  the  urine,  which,  when  mixed  with 
the  dung  and  straw,  forms  the  most  valuable  part  of  the 
compost  for  manure.  Earth  floors  should  be  raised  five  or 
six  inches  above  the  level  of  the  general  surface,  and  are 
best  when  made  of  sand  or  fine  gravel.  One  of  their  man- 
ifest advantages  is  the  ease  of  the  horse's  legs  and  feet,  on 
account  of  their  softness  and  coolness ;  and  another  is  their 
economy,  their  cheapness.  It  is  but  iseldom  that  any  other 
floors  are  met  with  south  of  the  Ohio  and  Potomac,  and  no 
other  kind  is  ever  seen  on  the  plantations  of  the  cotton 
States.  At  the  South  they  are  believed  to  be  much  more 
conducive  to  health  than  any  other. 

The  plank  floor  is  in  general  use  at  the  North.  In  a  cold 
climate  it  is  regarded  as  a  protection  from  the  frost  supposed 
to  gather  on  the  top  of  the  ground,  which  thus  becomes  cold 
and  damp.  These  considerations  have  no  weight  at  the 
South,  where  the  cold  is  rarely  severe  enough  to  freeze  the 
dirt  floors.  Our  experience  at  the  North  is  top  limited  to 
enable  us  to  pass  any  judgment  upon  the  correctness  of  these 
views  as  an  objection  to  the  earth  floor.  Plank  floors  are 
very  hard  for  the  horse  to  stand  upon,  and,  unless  made  quite 
tight,  are  apt  to  be  cold  in  winter.  Many  of  the  barn-stables 
in  the  Northern  States  are  merely  loose  floors,  quite  un- 
jointed,  through  whose  chinks  and  cracks  the  cold  winds 
come  up  in  piercing  currents,  and  the  horse  sufiers  not  a  little 
in  consequence.  They  are  usually  so  high  from  the  ground, 
too,  that  in  summer  they  are  very  warm. 

The  pavement  floor,  which  is  used  only  in  cities,  except 
for  its  hardness,  is  quite  unobjectionable.  But  this  is  not 
felt  as  so  serious  a  disadvantage  where  the  horse  spends 
most  of  the  day  upon  the  hard  pavements  of  the  streets ;  and 
in  many  large  stables  floored  in  this  manner,  a  coating  of 
saw-dust  makes  the  surface  soft  and  pleasant  to  tread  upon. 
Such  floors  are  very  cool  in  summer. 

Whatever  the  kind  of  floor  adopted,  it  should  be  laid 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.        ..         -  423 

entirely  level,  as  otherwise  the  horse  can  not  habitually  stand 
easy  and  comfortable.  The  construction  of  some  floors,  by 
which  they  are  made  to  slant  backward  from  the  manger, 
is  altogether  wrong.  Its  unpleasant  eftects  upon  the  horse 
may  be  understood  from  the  simple  experiment  of  standing 
three  or  four  hours  with  one's  toes  an  inch  or  so  higher  than 
his  heels. 

Let  the  floor,  we  repeat,  be  level,  as  dry  as  possible,  and, 
by  frequent  sweepings,  kept  perfectly  clean,  with  litter  and 
bedding  often  changed. 

BEDDING. 

This  is  often  called  litter,  but  what  is  really  needed  is  a 
bed  for  the  horse  to  lie  down  upon, in  his  stall.  The  latter 
should  not  only  be  roomy  enough,  and  so  arranged  that  its 
inmate  can  lie  down  in  it,  w^hen  so  disposed,  but  it  should 
always  be  spread  with  a  good,  clean  bed  of  straw,  or  some 
proper  substitute,  such  as  that  most  excellent  one  saw-dust. 
1^0  matter  what  is  used,  however,  the  portions  wet  by  the 
urine,  and  all  the  manure,  should  be  removed  every  morn- 
ing, and  if  the  horse  stands  in  the  stable  during  the  day,  at 
evening  also.  The  urine  and  the  soaking  straw  decompose 
very  rapidly,  and  give  ofl*  large  amounts  of  offensive  vapors, 
especially  of  the  injurious  fumes  of  ammonia,  or  hartshorn, 
and  hence  they  should  be  removed  frequently.  In  many  of 
our  best  stables,  this  is  done  every  few  hours — an  excellent 
regulation,  worthy  of  adoption  every-where. 

The  bedding  should  not  be  too  thick,  or  so  as  to  cover  the 
feet  of  the  horse,  as  this  tends  to  heat  them,  and  thus  induce 
inflammation  and  disease.  Two  inches  of  bedding,  of  what- 
ever sort,  will  be  ample  for  any  season  of  the  year.  As  an 
act  of  humanity,  it  is  due  the  horse  that  he  be  given  a  bed 
to  both  stand  and  lie  down  upon  in  his  stall.  A  percepti- 
ble difference  may  be  discovered  between  the  condition  of  a 
horse  that  stands  continually  upon  a  hard  floor,  and  that  of 
another  who  has  a  good  bed  provided  for  his  use  at  all  times. 
In  winter  a  sufficiency  of  bedding  will  do  much  to  counter- 


♦ 


•t 


> 

424  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

act  tlie  evils  of  an  open  plank  floor,  between  whose  joints  the 
cold  currents  of  air  are  always  rushing  up,  not  only  to  the 
very  great  discomfort  of  the  horse,  but  also  to  the  material 
detriment  of  his  health. 

CLEANSING   AND    CURRYING. 

The  proper  use  of  the  curr^^-comb  and  brush  maybe  called 
the  sheet-anchor  of  all  good  stable  management.  There  is 
never  too  much  of  it,  and  but  seldom  half  enough.  When 
the  horse  is  allowed  his  liberty  in  the  pasture,  he  will  curry 
himself  pretty  well,  against  the  fence-posts  and  trees,  while 
the  water  from  the  rain-cloud  will  wash  him  off.  If  we  de- 
prive him  of  his  liberty,  and  shut  him  up  in  the  stable,  we 
ought  to  do  this  much  for  him;  and  then,  too,  he  needs  this 
attention  more  in  the  stable  than  when  running  in  some  dry 
pasture.  All  horses  kept  constantly  in  stable,  require  con- 
stant cleaning  and  currying,  and  this  is  still  more  necessary 
in  the  case  of  those  that  are  driven  or  ridden  in  the  mud  and 
rain.  It  is  a  disgraceful  act  of  inhumanity  to  push  the  faith- 
ful horse  over  bad  roads,  then  turn  him  into  the  stable,  and 
let  him  remain  until  morning,  or  perhaps  still  longer,  with 
not  only  his  limbs  covered  with  dirt,  but  his  whole  body  be- 
spattered with  mud.  ^N'o  person  has  a  right  to  treat  the 
horse  in  this  manner.  It  will  afford  the  poor  animal  nearly 
as  much  satisfaction  to  be  freed  from  these  accumulations 
of  filth,  as  it  does  the  negligent,  unfeeling  owner. 

Cleanliness  is  also  highly  conducive  to  the  health  of  the 
horse.  The  darkness  and  confinement  of  the  stable  are  not 
favorable  to  the  action  of  the  pores  of  the  skin.  These  little 
vessels  do  not  throw  out  their  oily  secretions  to  the  surface 
with  the  same  readiness  as  when  the  horse  lives  in  the  open 
air ;  neither  do  the  dead  particles  of  the  cuticle,  or  scarfskin, 
detach  themselves  at  the  proper  time  with  equal  freedom. 
Sunshine,  breezes  and  showers  have  the  effect  to  loosen  the 
scurf,  and  to  soften  the  skin ;  and  for  these  reasons  the  horse 
running  regularly  in  pasture  needs  but  little  attention  in 
this  line.    In  the  stable,  however,  JSTature  needs  assistance, 


% 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  425 

and  the  curry-comb  and  brush,  with  the  addition  in  summer- 
time, of  th^  tub  of  cold  water  and  a  good  sponge,  will  be  of 
essential  service,  and  in  some  degree  ameliorate  the  animal's 
prison-life.  Many  horses  kept  in  stables  suffer  from  a  con- 
stant fever  of  the  skin,  and  for  this  trouble  good  currying  is 
a  most  excellent  remedy.  It  acts  as  a  counter-irritant  and 
affords  great  relief. 

The  difference  between  the  appearance  of  a  horse  that  is 
habitually  well  rubbed  down,  and  that  of  one  in  whose  keep- 
ing this  is  neglected  will  be  very  perceptible  to  the  least  ob- 
servant, i^o  intelligent  keeper  of  the  horse  but  is  well 
aware  how  greatly  hand-rubbing  excites  the  secretions  of  the 
skin  upon  the  legs,  and  causes  the  hair  to  shine  with  unusual 
glossiness.  The  skin  is  warmed  and  made  pliant  by  the  rub- 
bing, the  unctuous  fluid  flows  forth,  and  the  whole  surface  is 
oiled  from  E"ature's  own  fountain.  In  all  diseases  of  the 
skin,  rubbing  and  currying  is  quite  as  essential  a  part  of  the 
treatment  as  medication,  and  very  often  even  more  so. 

This  being  so  important  a  branch  of  stable  management, 
and  the  subject  one  of  such  universal  applicability,  we  in- 
troduce the  remarks  of  Youatt,  upon  the  same  Jopic : 

"  Of  grooming,  there  need  not  much  be  said  to  the  agricul- 
turist, since  custom,  and  apparently  without  ill-effect,  has 
allotted  so  little  of  the  comb  and  brush  to  the  farmer's  horse. 
The  animal  that  is  worked  all  day,  and  turned  out  at  night, 
requires  little  more  to  be  done  to  him  than  to  have  the  dirt 
brushed  off  his  limbs.  Regular  grooming,  by  rendering  his 
skin  more  sensible  to  the  alteration  of  temperature  and  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather,  would  be  prejudicial.  The  horse 
that  is  altogether  turned  out  needs  no  grooming.  The 
dandrifl',  or  scurf,  which  accumulates  at  the  roots  of  the  hair, 
is  a  provision  of  i^ature  to  defend  him  from  the  wind  and 
the  cold.  ' 

"It  is  to  the  stabled  horse,  highly  fed,  and  little  or  irregu- 
larly worked,  that  grooming  is  of  so  much  consequence. 
Good  rubbing  with  the  brush  or  the  curry-comb  opens  the 
pores  of  the  skin,  circulates  the  blood  to  the  extremities  of 


426  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

the  body,  produces  free  and  healthy  perspiration,  and  stands 
in  the  room  of  exercise.  No  horse  will  carry  a  fine  coat 
without  either  unnatural  heat  or  dressing.  They  both  eftect 
the  same  purpose.  They  both  increase  the  insensible  perspi- 
ration ;  but  the  first  does  it  at  the  expense  of  health  and 
strength;  while  the  ^second,  at  the  same  time  that  it  pro- 
duces a  glow  on  the  skin,  and  a  determination  of  blood  to 
it,  rouses  all  the  energies  of  the  frame.  It  would  be  well  for 
the  proprietor  of  the  horse  if  he  were  to  insist — and  to  see 
that  his  orders  are  really  obeyed — that  the  fine  coat,  in  which 
he  and  his  groom  so  much  delight,  is  produced  by  honest 
rubbing,  and  not^by  a  heated  stable  and  thick  clothing,  and, 
most  of  all,  not  by  stimulating  or  injurious  spices.  '  The  horse 
should  be  regularly  dressed  every  day,  in  addition  to  the 
grooming  that  is  necessary  after  work. 

"  When  the  weather  will  permit  the  horse  to  be  taken  out, 
he  should  never  be  groomed  in  the  stable,  unless  he  is  an 
animal  of  peculiar  value,  or  placed  for  a  time  under  peculiar 
circumstances.  Without  dwelling  on  the  want  of  cleanliness, 
when  the  scurf  and  dust  that  are  brushed  from  the  horse 
lodge  in  hi|  manger,  and  mingle  with  his  food,  experience 
teaches  that,  if  the  cold  is  not  too  great,  the  animal  is  braced 
and  invigorated  to  a  degree  that  can  not  be  attained  in  the 
stable,  from  being  dressed  in  the  open  air.  There  is  no  ne- 
cessity, however,  for  half  the  punishment  w^iich  many  a 
groom  inflicts  upon  the  horse  in  the  act  of  dressing;  and 
particularly  on  one  whose  skin  is  thin  and  sensible.  The 
curry-comb  should,  at  all  times,  be  lightly  applied.  With 
many  horses,  its  use  may  be  almost  dispensed  with;  and  eV^en 
the  brush  needs  not  to  be  so  hard,  nor  the  points  of  the  bris- 
tles so  irregular,  as  they  often  are.  A  soft  brush,  with  a  little 
more  weight  of  the  hand,  will  be  equally  effectual,  and  a 
great  deal  more  pleasant  to  the  horse.  A  hair-cloth,  while  it 
will  seldom  irritate  and  tease,  will  be  almost  suflicient  with 
horses  that  have  a  thin  skin,  and  that  have  not  been  neglected. 
After  all,  it  is  no  slight  task  to  dress  a  horse  as  it  ought  to 
be  done.    It  occupies  no  little  time,  and  demands  consider- 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  427 

able  patience,  as  well  as  dexterity.  It  will  be  readily  ascer- 
tained whether  a  horse  has  been  well  dressed  by  rubbing  him 
with  one  of  the  fingers.  A  greasy  stain  will  detect  the  idle- 
ness of  the  groom.  "When,  however,  the  horse  is  changing 
his  coat,  both  the  curry-comb  and  the  brush  should  be  used 
as  lightly  as  possible. 

"  Whoever  would  be  convinced  of  the  benefit  of  friction  to 
the  horse's  skin,  and  to  the  horse  generally,  needs  only  to 
observe  the  efiects  produced  by  well  hand-rubbing  the  legs 
of  a  tired  horse.  While  every  enlargement  subsides,  and 
the  painful  stiffness  disappears,  and  the  legs  attain  their 
natural  warmth,  and  become  fine,  the  animal  is  evidently 
and  rapidly  reviving;  he  attacks  his  food  with  appetite,  and 
then  quietly  lies  down  to  rest." 

CHANgES   OF   WEATHER   AND   TEMPERATURE. 

Nature  prepares  the  horse,  as  it  does  all  the  other  members 
of  the  animal  creation,  for  the  changes  of  the  seasons — from 
heat  to  cold,  and  from  cold  to  heat.  There  is  a  wonderful 
provision  for  this  puipose,  in  the  arrangement  of  the  vary- 
ing conditions  of  the  skin — the  opening  of  the  pores  as  sum- 
mer advances,  and  their  closing  upon  the  approach  of  winter. 
Another  admirable  adaptation  of  conditions  to  surrounding 
circumstances  is  exhibited  by  the  growth  of  the  hair  in  the 
fall  season,  when  it  is  soon  to  be  needed  for  the  protection  of 
the  animal  from  the  rigor  of  winter,  and  then  by  its  gradual 
shedding  in  the  spring,  when  it  is  needed  no  longer. 

These  changes  are  rarely  attended  by  any  inconvenience 
to  the  horse,  much  less  any  serious  ills;  but  there  are  other 
changes  created  by  man,  his  master,  that  often  very  much 
afiect  his  health  and  condition.  Taking  him  out  of  a  warm 
stable  into  a  cold,  beating  rain,  or  into  a  sharp  atmosphere, 
crisp  with  a  biting  frost,  constitutes  one  of  these  unfavorable 
changes.  Another  is  driving  him  very  hard  and  then  hitch- 
ing him  to  a  post  in  the  cold  or  storm,  without  any  protection, 
and  thus  allowing  him  to  remain  until  his  whole  frame  is 
numb  and  chilled  with  the  cold.     Another  is  turning  him 


.^ 


428  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

into  an  open  lot,  to  spend  the  night  in  the  rain,  sleet,  mud, 
or  snow,  after  several  hours  or  an  entire  day  of  severe  exer- 
cise. There  are  many  more  such  dangerous  transitions,  most 
of  them  downright  abuses ;  but  we  have  room  to  specify  only 
one  additional,  and  that  is  bringing  the  horse  suddenly  into 
a  hot  stable  from  a  wintry  atmosphere  without,  so  cold  that 
he  has  been  half  chilled  to  death. 

To  all  these  changes  the  horse  is  often  exposed,  and,  in 
consequence,  often  falls  a  victim  to  those  diseases  which  they 
have  a  tendency  to  produce,  especially  afiections  of  the  lungs, 
the  skin,  and  the  feet.  If  we  are  compelled  or  choose  to 
place  our  horses  in  such  circumstances,  we  ought  to  aftbrd 
them  all  the  protection  in  our  power.  If  the  animal  has 
long  to  wait  upon  our  necessity  or  our  pleasure,  it  would  be 
much  better  to  procure  a  stable  for  him  to  stand  in  mean- 
while ;  but  if  this  can  not  be  done,  it  would  be  an  act  of 
both  humanity  and  economy  to  aftbrd  him  the  w^armth  and 
comfort  of  a  good 

BLANKETING. 

No  better  investment  can  be  made  than  the  purchase  of  a 
good,  thick,  and  substantial  blanket 
for  the  horse's  use  during  cold  and 
stormy  weather.  It  should,  of  course, 
be  fitted  with  straps  and  buckles  in 
front,  behind,  and  beneath,  just  back 
of  the  fore-legs. 

A  gum-elastic  blanket  might  be  so 
constructed  as  to  be  thrown  over  the  horse  and  cover  the  entire 
harness  or  saddle.  This  will  protect  the  latter  from  the 
weather  as  well  as  the  animal  himself.  It 
would  be  easy  to  arrange  it  so  that  the  horse 
could  travel  with  this  covering,  leaving 
but  a  small  portion  of  the  harness  ex- 
posed at  all.  '  '  , 
In  a  state  of  E'ature,  and  upon  ordinary 
occasions,  even  in  his  domesticated  condition,  the  horse  is 
sufficiently  provided  for  by  his  natural  clothing — the  hair. 


N        V 

•*••«' 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  429 

It  is  only  when  his  blood  has  become  unusually  heated 
by  severe  exercise,  or  when  he  is  suddenly  plunged  from 
one  extreme  of  temperature  into  the  other,  or  when  he  has 
become  enfeebled  by  disease,  that  the  horse  needs  any  extra 
covering,  unless  the  weather  is  extraordinarily  cold.  Protec- 
tion to  the  horse  is  only  needed  to  modify  his  condition,  and 
to  counteract  the  unhealthy  influences  of  great  and  sudden 
changes. 

DISINFECTANTS.    ',^ 

Disinfectants  should  be  used  in  all  stables,  more  or  less. 
The  larger  ones,  in  which  many  horses  are  crowded  together, 
are  those  which,  most  of  all,  need  systematic  and  frequent 
repetitions  of  the  disinfecting  process.  The  livery  stable  is 
never  properly  kept  unless  an  intelligent,  liberal  use  of  dis- 
infectants forms  one  feature  of  its  management.  "No  horse 
is  entirely  safe  in  a  stable  filled  with  strange  horses  unless 
this  course  is  pursued.  It  is  of  quite  as  much  importance  to 
the  farmer  coming  to  town  with  his  produce,  or  the  traveler 
of  an}^  sort  away  from  home,  to  know  that  his  horse  is  not 
to  be  infected  with  some  terrible  contagion,  as  it  is  to  be  sure 
that  he  has  plenty  of  food  and  proper  attention. 

Glanders,  farcy,  and  distemper  often  take  possession  of  a 
stable  covertly,  weeks  before  the  majority  of  hostlers  can 
detect  the  presence  of  any  thing  wrong.  In  stables  where 
strange  horses  are  going  and  coming  every  hour,  there  is  no 
assurance  that  an  infected  animal  has  not  been  thrust  in 
among  the  rest.  Perhaps  a  glandered  horse,  with  the  dis- 
ease in  its  incipient  stages,  may  come  into  a  large  stable  full 
of  horses,  and  not  more  than  two  or  three  of  the  whole  num- 
ber take  the  dreadful  malady  from  him.  Yet  whose  horse 
is  safe  in  such  company?  If  proper  disinfectants  have  been 
used,  there  will  be  little  danger. 

There  are  but  three  articles  commonly  employed  as  disin- 
fectants that  possess  much  value  in  the  stable.  We  mention 
them  in  the  order  in  which  we  esteem  them,  thus :  tobacco, 
sulphur,  and  lime. 


430  AMErTcAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

For  stable  purposes,  we  consider  tobacco  the  bjest  disinfec 
tant  known.  It  is  the  antidote  of  glanders,  farcy,  and  dis- 
temper; and  if  it  be  used  in  the  manner  prescribed  elsewhere 
for  the  treatment  of  those  diseases,  the  spread  of  contagion 
can  be  effectually  prevented.  Every  contagious  disease,  in 
either  man  or  beast,  has  its  particular  disinfectant — that  is, 
one  better  adapted  to  counteract  its  peculiar  influences  than 
any  other  substance.  All  disinfectants  are  not  of  equal 
power,  when  applied  to  the  disorders  of  man,  that  they  possess 
when  used  in  veterinary  practice,  and  vice  versa ;  but,  in  either 
case,  a  perfect  disinfectant  is  the  best  remedy  for  the  disease. 
Reversing  this  proposition,  it  may  be  said  that  the  best 
remedy  for  the  disease  is  the  only  sure  disinfectant. 

Tobacco  will  cure  glanders,  in  its  first  and  second  stages, 
when  other  modes  of  treatment  utterly  fiiil ;  and  it  is  the  only 
substance  that  can  be  considered  a  certain  disinfectant  of  this 
fearful  disease.  A  few  stalks  or  leaves  of  ^''the  weed  "  burned 
in  an  old  kettle  in  the  stable,  when  the  horse  is  attended  in 
the  morning,  will  work  wonders  in  improving  the  sanitary 
condition  of  the  building,  if  any  infection  either  happens  to 
be  lurking  there  undiscovered,  or  is  already  in  full,  fell  play. 
Unlike  some  disinfectants,  tobacco  does  not  materially  change 
the  qualities  of  the  infected  atmosphere;  but  its  virtue  con- 
sists mainly  in  its  action  upon  the  system  of  the  animal 
whence  the  infection  proceeds,  destroying,  or  at  least  neutral- 
izing, the  very  source  of  danger,  the  poison  of  jiisease. 
^  Sulphur  has  been  known  to  the  author  of  this  work  for 
more  than  fifteen  years  as  a  disinfectant  of  great  value  for 
those  types  of  malignant  disease  which  generate  foulness  and 
putridity  within  the  system ;  and  this  is  one  reason  why  its 
free  use  internally  has  been  so  often  and  persistently  pre- 
scribed in  many  of  the  foregoing  chapters.  It  has  lately  been 
employed  as  a  disinfectant  by  fumigation,  also.  "When  it  is 
burned  in  the  atmosphere,  sulphurous  gas  is  formed,  which  is 
believed  to  be  of  great  benefit  in  counteracting  contagious 
influences.  But  whether  it  will  destroy  the  virus  of  glanders 
or  distemper  yet  remains  to  be  tested.     We  are  confident 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  431 

that  tobacco  will  do  this,  having  used  it  repeatedly  with  the 
greatest  success ;  for  which  reason  tobacco  is  what  we  recom- 
mend in  all  such  cases. 

Lime  is  a  highly-esteemed  disinfectant  when  employed  to 
nullify  the  noxious  effluvia  arising  from  the  decomposition 
of  vegetable  matter;  for  instance,  in  the  vicinity  of  sewers, 
stagnant  pools,  piles  of  manure,  and  heaps  of  rotting  garbage. 
Chloride  of  lime,  or  lime  itself,  placed  in  these  localities  will 
disinfect  them  to  a  very  great  extent.  Hence,  the  exhala- 
tions from  a  box  or  kettle  of  the  chloride  will  be  of  great 
value  in  neutralizing  the  odors  and  injurious  gases  in  the 
stable  proceeding  from  rotting  manure  and  the  like  causes; 
but  it  does  not  appear  to  have  any  power  to  destroy  or  break 
up  disease. 

In  a  stable  where  any  contagion  is  known  to  have  lately 
existed,  tobacco  may,  perhaps,  be  regarded  as  the  only  real 
safeguard;  yet  this  remark  must  not  be  understood  as  pro- 
nouncing against  the  use  of  either  lime  or  sulphur  in  connec- 
tion Avith  it.  They  may  be  employed  with  benefit  as  medi- 
cine, and  probably  as  fumigators,  also.  Every  part  of  the 
stable  near  which  the  infection  may  possibly  have  been,  should 
be  thoroughly  washed  with  a  decoction  of  tobacco.  A  dense 
smoke  of  the  same  should  form  the  fumigation,  and  tobacco- 
feaves— the  finer  the  better — should  be  kept  for  a  time  in  all 
the  mangers  of  that- stable. 

Other  disinfectants,  such  as  copperas,  chloroform,  assafetida, 
etc.,  have  had  their  advocates;  but  the  three  which  we  have^ 
named  are  the  principal  agents  of  this  character,  and  the 
others  are  not^to  be  used,  except  in  special  cases. 

EXERCISE. 

If  it  be  at  all  possible,  horses  should  have  regular,  daily 
exercise  in  some  way.  The  farm-horse  generally  has  enough 
of  this  in  the  roufine  of  daily  toil.  It  is  only  the  horse  that 
is  kept  for  pleasure  which  spends  most  of  his  time  in  the  stable. 
Such  an  animal  has  great  need  of  set  periods,  at  regular  and 
frequent  intervals,  for  exercise;  otherwise  his  legs  are  apt  to 


432  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

become  stiff,  and  swellings  puff  out  the  joints.  Exercise 
improves  condition  and  spirits,  and  is  often  a  preventive  of 
disease.  It  should  be  moderate ;"  for  the  class  of  horses  which 
we  have  described  are  not  capable  of  undergoing  such  fatigue 
as  would  seem  quite  easy  to  the  farm  or  wagon  horse,  not 
having  the  same  hardness  of  muscle  nor  equal  powers  of  en- 
durance. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  put  horses  that  have 

been  idle  for  some  time 
to  severe  exercise  too 
suddenly.  Great  evils 
have  followed  this  in- 
judicious course,  and,  in 
many  instances,  the  loss 
of  the  horse  too  late  has 
opened  the  eyes  of  the  owner  to  its  folly.  The  remarkable 
case  of  lock-jaw,  described  on  page  203-205  of  this  work,  oc- 
curred while  the  author  was  engaged  in  preparing  the  first 
draft  of  the  present  chapter,  and  fully  illustrates  what  we 
wish  to  say  in  this  connection. 

Many  farmers  pursue  a  course  similar  to  the  one  described 
in  that  narrative,  in  overworking  horses  unaccustomed  to 
hard  service;  and  though  lock-jaw  may  rarely  follow,  they 
are  lucky,  indeed,  if  no  other  disease  fastens  itself  upon  their 
abused  and  jaded  animals.  In  consequence  of  such  misman- 
agement, not  a  few  of  the  best  horses  ever  bred  have  failed; 
while,  if  they  had  been  the  subjects  of  a  little  consideration 
and  judgment,  such  as  would  have  put  them  to  work  gard- 
ually,  and  have  increased  the  amount  of  labor  exacted  fron^ 
them  as  they  were  able  to  bear  it,  they  might  have  contin- 
ued to  do  excellent  service  for  a  whole  lifetime  without  any 
suffering  in  becoming  inured  to  protracted  and  severe  toil. 

In  the  case  of  lock-jaw  referred  to  above,  it  was  a  great 
mistake  to  put  the  young  mare  to  such  hard  work  in  the 
hottest  days  of  August.  More  favorable  results  ought  not 
to  have  been  anticipated.  The  best  time  for  accustoming 
the  young  draft-horse  to  the  labor  which  is  to  be  demanded 


FOOD  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT.  433 

of  him  is  in  spring,  beginning  early  in  the  season ;  and  next 
to  this  period,  the  cool  days  of  fall.  Many  a  horse  has  been 
brought  from  the  stable  or  the  pasture,  either  after  a  long 
rest,  or  else  having  never  worked  at  all,  and  then,  being  put 
at  once  to  hard  service,  has  failed,  upon  which  the  owner 
has  been  apt  to  think  himself  cheated  in  his  bargain ;  whereas 
a  more  judicious  management  might  have  led  to  a  full  reali- 
zation of  all  his  expectations,  and  have  secured  him  the  labor 
of  a  valuable  animal  for  many  years. 

Our  English  author,  (Youatt,)  although  mainly  addressing 
other  classes  of  horse-owners  than  the  farmer,  is  very  clear 
and  satisfactory  in  his  treatment  of  this  subject.     He  says: 

"  Our  observations  on  this  important  branch  of  stable-man- 
agement must  have  only  slight  reference  to  the  agricultural 
horse.  His  work  is  usually  regular,  and  not  exhausting.  He 
is  neither  predisposed  to  disease  by  idleness,  nor  worn  out  by 
excessive  exertion.  He,  like  his  master,  has  enough  to  do  to 
keep  in  health,  and  not  enough  to  distress  or  injure  him ;  on 
the  contrary,  the  regularity  of  his  wor^  prolongs  life  to  an 
extent  rarely  witnessed  in  the  stable  of  a  gentleman.  Our 
remarks  on  exercise,  then,  must  have  a  general  bearing,  or 
have  principal  reference  to  those  persons  who  are  in  the 
middle  stations  of  life,  and  /ho  contrive  to  keep  a  horse  for 
business  or  pleasure,  but  can  not  aflbrd  to  maintain  a  servant 
for  the  express  purpose  of  looking  after  it. 

"  The  first  rule  we  would  lay  down  is,  that  every  horse 
should  have  daily  exercise.  The  animal  that,  with  the  usual 
stable-feeding,  stands  idle  for  three  or  four  days,  as  is  the  case 
in  many  establishments,  must  suffer.  He  is  predisposed  to 
fever,  or  to  grease,  or,  most  of  all,  to  diseases  of  the  foot; 
and  if,  after  three  or  four  days  of  inactivity,  he  is  ridden  far 
and  fast,  he  is  almost  sure  to  have  inflammation  of  the  lungs 
or  of  the  feet. 

"A  gentleman's  or  tradesman's  horse  suffers  a  great  deal 

more  from  idleness  than  he  does  from  work.    A  stable-fed 

horse  should  have  two  hours'  exercise  every  day,  if  he  is  to 

be  kept  free  from  disease.    JS'othing  of  extraordinary,  or  eveu 

28 


434  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

of  ordinary  labor  can  be  effected  on  the  road  or  in  the  field  with 
out  sufficient  and  regular  exercise.  It  is  this  alone  which  can 
give  energy  to  the  system,  or  develop  the  powers  of  any  animal. 
"How,  then,  is  this  exercise  to  be  given?  As  much  as 
possible  by,  or  under  the  superintendence  of,  the  owner.  The 
exercise  given  by  the  groom  is  rarely  to  be  depended  upon. 
It  is  inefficient  or  it  is  extreme.  It  is,  in  many  cases,  both 
irregular  and  injurious.  It  is  dependent  upon  the  caprice  of 
him  who  is  performing  a  task,  and  wjio  will  render  that  task 
subservient  to  his  own  pleasure  or  purpose. 

"  ^N'othing  is  so  common  and  so  preposterous  as  for  a  per- 
son* to  buy  a  Iiorse  from  a  dealer's  stable,  where  he  has  been 
idly  fattening  for  sale  for  many  a  day,  and  immediately  to 
give  him  a  long  run  after  the  hounds,  and  then  to^  complain 
bitterly  that  he  has  been  imposed  upon  if  the  animal  is  ex- 
hausted before  the  end  of  the  chase,  or  is  compelled  to  be  led 
home,  suffering  from  violent  inflammation.  Regular  and 
gradually- increasing  exercise  would  have  made  the  same 
horse  appear  a  treasure  to  his  owner. 

"  Exercise  should  be  somewhat  proportioned  to  the  age  of 
the  horse*  A  young  horse  requires  more  than  an  old  one. 
Nature  has  given  to  young  animals  of  every  kind  a  disposi- 
tion to  activity ;  but  the  exercise  must  not  be  violent.  .  A 
great  deal  depends  upon  the  manner  in  which  it  is  given. 
To  preserve  the  temper  and  to  promote  health,  it  should  be 
moderate  at  least  at  the  beginning  and  the  termination.  The 
rapid  trot,  or  even  the  gallop,  may  be  resorted  to  in  the  middle 
of  the  exercise,  but  the  horse  should  be  brought  iti  cool.  If 
the  owner  would  seldom  intrust  his  horse  to  boys,  and  would 
insist  on  the  exercise  being  taken  in  sight  or  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  residence,  many  an  accident  and  irreparable  injury 
would  be  avoided.  It  should  be  the  owner's  pleasure,  and 
it  is  his  interest,  personally  to  attend  to  all  these  things.  He 
manages  every  other  part  of  his  concern,  and  he  may  depend 
on  it  he  suffers  when  he  neglects  or  is,  in  a  manner,  excluded 
from  his  stables." 


^- 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING   ETC.  435 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC. 

If  the  relative  importance  of  the  different  branches  of  our 
subject  had  alone  decided  the  arrangement  of  this  volume, 
this  chapter  might  properly  have  been  placed  at  the  very  be- 
ginning of  our  work.  We  have  here  to  consider  not  merely 
the  birth  of  the  young  animal,  but,  likewise,  all  the  circum- 
stances having  a  bearing  upon  that  event,  and  then  to  trace 
the  history  of  the  colt  onward  to  his  years  of  strength  and 
maturity. 

We  enter  upon  this  portion  of  our  task  not  without  some 
misgivings.  A  mistake  in  this  department  would  be  more 
fatal,  would  do  more  harm,  than  a  blunder  almost  anywhere 
else.  Then,  too,  every  novice  in  the  business  of  stock-raising 
is  satisfied  that  he  knows  pretty  nearly  all  that  is  to  be  known 
concerning  it,  and  can  hardly  be  instructed  in  any  particular. 
IsText  to  politics,  this  subject  is  probably  the  most  common 
topic  of  discussion  among  the  majority  of  our  farmers.  jN^or 
is  the  importance  which  they  attach  to  it  by  any  means  an 
undue  one.  As  a  general  rule,  nothing  can  progress  satisfac- 
torily or  end  well  that  does  not  begin  aright. 

As  man  has  taken  this  matter,  as  far  as  he  can  do  it,  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  Creator,  and  has  assumed  to  direct  and 
control  it,  he  should  have  the  full  benefit  of  all  the  light  and 
experience  which  is  attainable  in  regard  to  it.  Doubtless 
our  views  will  call  forth  some  adverse  criticism,  and,  in  some 
quarters,  perhaps  strenuous  opposition.  Nevertheless,  we  pro- 
pose to  state  them  fully  and  candidly,  so  that,  while  it  is  too 
much  to  expect  that  all  will  be  convinced,  no  one  need  mis- 
understand upon  what  grounds  our  opinions  are  based.  The 
reason  for  the  faith  that  is  in  us  shall  be  given  clearly,  as  it 
has  been  deduced  from  long  observation  and  experience. 


f 


436  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

In  regard  to  breeding,  many  things  in  the  customary  sys 
tern  of  operations  are  objectionable  in  the  extreme.  The 
manner  of  waiting  upon  the  horse  upon  occasions  of  his 
service  to  the  mare,  with  a  crowd  of  idle  boys  standing 
about,  and  an  attendant  to  direct  the  horse's  movements, 
merits  the  opprobrium  of  all  right-thinking  persons.  It  not 
only  shocks  every  sense  of  propriety,  but  it  is  unnatural  and 
injurious.  The  practice  deserves  universal  execration.  Other 
portions  of  the  brute  creation  are  allowed  to  choose  their 
own  times  and  seasons  for  copulation,  and  to  conduct  mat- 
ters in  their  own  way,  as  they  are  abundantly  able  to  do 
without  any  further  guidance  than  the  promptings  of  in- 
stinct alone.  Tlje  horse  should  be  privileged  to  enjoy  the 
same  freecjom. 

In  precise  terms,  both  the  horse  and  mare  should  be  al- 
lowed to  run  together  in  the  same  field.  This,  of  course, 
should  be  retired  from  the  highway,  in  some  pasture  which 
may  easily  be  selected,  away  from  the  usual  routes  of  the  pass- 
ers-by. Here  the  mare  may  be  affbrded  the  pleasure  of  the 
horse's  society  for  several  days — a  circumstance  which  will 
be  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  both  of  them,  and  still  more 
to  their  future  progeny. 

There  is  a  radical  error  in  the  prevalent  mode  of  conduct- 
ing all  these  proceedings.  We  lay  it  down  as  an  almost  in- 
variable rule,  that  the  foal  will  partake  chiefly  of  the  con- 
stitution and  disposition  of  the  sire,  while  his  form  and  size 
is  mainly  derived  from  the  dam.  It  is  the  operation  of  this 
law  which  indicates  the  necessity  of  other  treatment  in  re- 
gard to  the  horse.  There  are,  by  far,  too  few  horses  kept  as 
breeders,  and  they  are  taxed  beyond  all  reason  and  decency. 

The  horse  is  injured  by  being  kept  too  close  in  a  dark 
'  stable,  without  sufficient  exercise  in  the  open  air  and  the 
range  of  the  pasture ;  and  then,  too,  his  stable-feed  has  a 
tendency  to  heat  the  blood,  which  is  a  condition  that  often 
affects  the  genital  organs  materially.  Constant  confinement 
renders  his  disposition  fierce  and  intractable,  and  the  depriva- 
tion of  the  daily  society  of  the  mare  makes  the  matter  still 


BREEDINa,  STOCK-RAIIblNG,  ETC.  437 

worse,  so  that  when  he  is  led  out  to  meet  her  he  is  all  of  a 
frenzy  and  fever,  and  can  hardly  be  controlled.  This  is  all 
wrong,  and  would  not  occur  were  he  in  constant  association 
with  the  other  sex.  He  would,  in  that  case,  l)p  much  more 
docile,  quiet,  and  manageable.  As  it  is,  he  is^y  no  means 
manifesting  such  a  disposition  as  is  desirable  for  the  ordi- 
nary purposes  for  which  a  horse  is  needed;  yet  this  is  the 
disposition  that  will  be  imparted  to  the  foal. 

Another  most  serious  error  in  the  general  practice  at 
the  present  day  has  been  already  adverted  to,  and  that  is 
compelling  the  horse  to  serve  too  many  mares.  Kot  a  few 
stallions  in  this  country  are  forced  to  serve  from  sixty  to 
seventy  mares  during  the  season  of  about  three  months, 
often  being  led  out  two  or  three  times  in  the  same  day.  No 
horse  can  be  thus  excessively  taxed  without  manifest  injury 
resulting  therefrom.  To  discharge  this  duty  regularly  once 
a  day  is  more  than  should  be  exacted  from  him.  Every 
other  day  is  as  often  as  any  horse  is  competent  to  meet 
these  continuous  demands. 

Here  comes  in  the  rule  that  every  writer  upon  the  horse  reit- 
erates, and  nearly  every  petty  breeder  thinks  he  knows  all 
about,  that  "  like  produces  like."  It  is  unquestionably  estab- 
lished that  conception  is  the  result  of  the  mingling  of  cer- 
tain elements  to  which  both  animals  contribute.  It  is  prob- 
able that  the  seminal  fluid  of  the  horse  forms  the  first  sub- 
stance of  the  foetus,  while  a  smaU  particle  of  blood  with  the 
ovum  of  the  mare  communicates  the  principle  of  life.  This 
is  considered  to  be  the  case  with  all  red  blooded  animals. 

It  is  a  correct  rule  that  to  end  well,  any  process  must  begin 
well;  and  no  one  will  dispute  the  statement  that  the  su- 
perstructure can  not  be  firm  and  strong  unless  the  founda- 
tions upon  which  it  rests  have  first  been  made  the  same. 
With  ordinary  prudence  and  management  a  good  begin- 
ning may  reasonably  be  expected  to  make  a  good  ending, 
but  a  bad  beginning  it  will  be  exceedingly  difficult  so  to  re- 
construct as  to  maiie  it  eventuate  in  success.  Upon  these 
principles,  we  repeat,  do  we  base  our  objections  to  the  un- 


438  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

natural  and  absurd  practices  which  characterize  the  system 
commonly  pursued  by  stock-raisers  in  relation  to  breeding. 
That  system  we  regard  as  utterly  ruinous  to  all  prospects 
of  future  improvement ;  nay,  more  than  this,  as  the  actual 
cause  of  great  deterioration,  from  one  generation  to  another, 
of  the  American  horse. 

We  say,  without  fear  of  successful  contradiction,  that  three 
times  a  week,  or  every  -other  day,  is  as  often  as  any  horse 
should  be  permitted  to  serve  a  mare.  Oftener  than  this, 
coition  may  be  eitected,  it  is  true,  but  the  seminal  fluid  of 
the  horse  in  such  cases  is  thin  and  immature;  and  if  a  colt 
is  produced  at  all,  he  will  be  almost  sure  to  be  big-boned, 
loose-jointed,  of  flabby,  uncompact  muscle,  and  with  a  feeble 
constitution.  This  is  one  main  reason  why  only  a  few  of 
the'colts  gotten  by  fine  stallions  are  equally  fine,  some  par- 
taking r)f  his  qualities  scarcely  at  all,  and  the  large  ma- 
jority falling  far  below  the  standard  of  his  own  excellence. 
No  matter  how  favorable  the  condition  of  the  mare  may 
be,  the  foal  gotten  under  such  circumstances  can  not  be 
expected  to  prove  otherwise  than  a  weak  and  feeble  little 
creature.  The  condition  of  the  dam  will,  doubtless,  modify 
the  application  of  these  principles  to  some  extent,  but  by 
no  means  sufiicient  to  disprove  their  general  correctness. 
The  few  fine  colts  which  the  horse  sires  are  the  result  of 
procreation  when  his  vital  and  reproductive  powers  were 
mature  and  vigorous. 

Were  proper  attention  paid  to  this  matter,  failure  to  im- 
pregnate would  occur  much  less  frequently  than  it  now  does 
in  the  ordinary  experience  of  stock-raisers;  the  object  of 
copulation  would  be  accomplished  three  times  where,  under 
the  reverse  circumstances,  it  is  efiected  once. 

The  great  obstacle  to  improvement  in  this  department 
consists  in  the  fact  that,  with  few  exceptions,  the  stallions 
kept  for  breeding  purposes  are  in  the  hands  of  men  whose 
sole  object  is  to  make  money,  and  whose  interest  it  is,  there- 
fore, to  have  their  horses  serve  as  manj'  mares  as  possible 
during  the  season.     To  most  men  of  this  class  the  future 


BREEDINa,  STOCK-RAISINa,  ETC.  439 

race  of  horses  in  general  is  a  matter  of  small  consideration. 
They  are  quite  satisfied  if  they  can  find  two  or  three  colts 
with  fine  parts  to  parade  before  the  public  as  specimens  of 
the  foal-getting  qualities  of  their  stock;  and  how  industri- 
ously are  all  such  colts  hunted  up  and  decked  off  for  exhi- 
bition at  the  county  fairs !  What  does  many  a  groveling 
fellow,  who  has  adopted  the  profession  of  a  horse-keeper, 
care  for  the  general  improvement  of  the  race  if  he  can,  by 
any  means,  no  matter  how  unfairly,  keep  up  the  reputation 
of  his  horse  sufiiciently  to  secure  a  liberal  patronage  the 
next  season !  What  cares  he  so  long  as  he  can  scrape  to- 
gether a  few  more  of  the  almighty  dollars,  notwithstanding 
the  community  be  imposed  upon,  and  the  next  generation 
of  horse-flesh  be  ever  so  much  cursed  by  these  excesses ! 
The  system  is  wrong  from  first  to  last — a  blight  and  mildew 
upon  one  of  the  most  important  interests  of  agriculturists 
and  the  public  generally. 

But  what  shall  be  done  to  get  rid  of  this  nuisance — this 
imposition?  Customs  so  firmly  rooted  are  not  easily  broken 
up,  and  yet  these  pernicious  practices  may  be  done  away  with, 
if  the  mass  of  farmers  were  firm  in  their  determination  upon 
this  point.  Let  neighborhood  meetings  be  called,  and  reso- 
lutions be  passed,  fixing  a  rule  in  regard  to  this  matter,  and 
a  committee  appointed  to  see  that  it  is  carried  out  as  faith- 
fully as  possible ;  or  the  same  action  may  be  taken  at  the 
meetings  of  farmers'  clubs,  where  such  exist.  There  ought 
to  be  a  State  enactment  to  prevent  the  abuses  referred  to ; 
but  this  is  not  to  be  hoped  for. 

We  have  conversed  wnth  large  numbers  of  the  successful 
stock-raisers  of  Kentucky  and  Middle  Tennessee,  and  have 
found  a  general  coincidence  in  the  views  here  expressed. 
Many  of  them,  indeed,  have  condemned  the  unnatural  prac-  ^ 
tice  of  exacting  from  the  horse  such  excessive  services  with 
the  utmost  severity.  Among  this  intelligent  class  it  is  not 
uncommon  for  a  gentleman  to  keep  a  horse  of  his  own  to 
serve  his  own  mares  and,  perhaps,  a  few  others.  Sometimes, 
a  few  farmers  club  together,  and  raise  a  joint  fund  for  the 


440  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

purchase  of  a  first-class  horse.      This  is  a  very  excellonl 
plan,  deserving  a  much  wider  adoption  than  at  present. 

In  dismissing  this  subject,  we  wish  to  impress  upon  the 
minds  of  all  interested  in  it  the  importance  of  this  general 
rule :  that  no  horse  should  be  compelled  to  repeat  his  service 
more  than  twenty  times  during  the  season,  and  never  oftener 
than  every  other  day.  Every  farmer  is  doing  an  injury  to 
his  stock  and  to  his  own  pecuniary  interests,  when  he  per- 
mits any  serious  departure  from  this  regulation.  The  adop- 
tion of  the  rule  here  specified  would  make  it  perfectly  proper 
to  charge  increased  rates  for  the  season  or  by  insurance.  It 
would  be  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  farmer  to  pay  even 
double  the  rate  now  asked,  and  get  a  colt  worth  double  the 
common  run. 

THE   HORSE   AND   HIS   QUALITIES. 

The  qualities  of  the  sire,  of  more  importance  than  all  others, 
are  his  capabilities  of  endurance  and  kindliness  of  disposi- 
tion. The  former  depend  mainly  upon  soundness  of  wind, 
compactness  of  muscle,  and  proper  form.  His  limbs  should 
not  be  too  long,  but  trim  and  clean,  and  his  joints  round  and 
well  set.  The  hips  are  the  most  essential  points  to  be  looked 
at  in  regard  to  the  horse,  as  in  them  and  in  his  hind  limbs 
lies  his  great  power.  But  the  shoulders  must  not  be  neg- 
lected ;  they  should  be  broad,  not  high  and  sharp,  but  round 
over  the  top. 

For  the  average  farm  horse  of  this  country,  about  sixteen 
hands  is  the  most  desirable  height.  Much  above  or  below 
this  standard  is  objectionable.  A  horse,  with  full  form  and 
well-developed  muscle,  it  is  preferable  to  have  below  rather 
than  above  sixteen  hands  high.  The'  color  of  the  hair  is  an 
indication  of  some  importance.  A  deep  dark  bay  is  the  best 
color  for  strength  and  endurance,  and- generally  the  most 
desirable  qualities  as  regards  disposition.  The  iron-gray  is 
the  next,  then  the  black,  and,  as  the  shades  grow  more  and 
more  light,  they  become  increasingly  objectionable.  What- 
ever the  color  of  the  horse,  the  mane  and  tail  should  be 
darker  than  the  hair  of  the  body.     Beware  of  that  horse 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  441 

with  dark  half  and  light  mane  and  tail.  Fine,  short  hair 
betokens  fine  blood,  and  coarse,  long  hair  the  reverse;  yet 
there  are  some  breeds  of  horses  with  long  hair  and  totally- 
lacking  any  signs  of  fine  blood,  that  undoubtedly  possess 
great  powers  of  endurance. 

]^o  stall)  Dn  should  be  regularly  used  for  breeding  purposes 
until  he  is  four  years  old.  At  the  age  of  three,  two  or  three 
mares  may  be  put  to  him  for  the  purpose  of  testing  his  qual- 
ities as  a  foal-getter;  but  not  more  than. this  number,  since 
very  few  horses  will  pass  inspection  when  so  young.  If  his 
stock  is  passable  at  this  age,  he  will  do  to  keep  as  a  stallion. 
His  colts  will  improve  until  six,  and  then  remain  good  until 
he  is  ten,  after  which,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  he  begins  to 
deteriorate  as  a  foal-getter.  A  horse  that  has  served  but 
twenty  mares  each  season  will  ordinarily  last  until  he  is 
twenty  quite  as  well  as  will  another,  of  whom  treble  this 
amount  of  duty  has  been  exacted,  until  he  is  ten  or  twelve. 
Excessive  service  in  this  line  will  impair  the  powers  of  the 
horse  sooner  than  any  other  circumstances. 

It  is  the  true  policy  of  every  large  stock-raiser  to  have  a 
stallion  of  his  own.  If  this  is  too  expensive,  let  several  join 
together,  and  either  select  one  of  their  best  colts  or  purchase 
one  for  this  purpose.  One  or  two  of  their  best  mares  may 
be  put  to  a  choice  horse  under  favorable  circumstances,  and 
the  colt  reared  for  this  especial  service.  Such  combinations 
would  greatly  improve  the  stock  in  any  neighborhood,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  years,  and  do  away  with  the  impositions 
now  so  common. 

In  our  country  the  stallions  are  generally  very  good.  The 
selection  is  usually  made  from  the  best  colts,  and  nearly  all 
of  tbem,  when  not  abused  by  excessive  service,  produce  very 
good  foals.  There  is  no  fault  here,  but  in  the  ignorant  and 
destructive  policy  of  their  owners. 

Except  in  the  way  of  general  directions,  not  much  can  be 
said  in  regard  to  the  selection  of  a  particular  horse  from 
which  to  breed.  The  owner  of  an  entire  horse  generally  has 
the  pedigree  and  qualities  of  the  animal  published,  and,  in 


442 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC. 


443 


most  ca§ee,  quite  truthfully.  Most  horses  breed  best  for  some 
especial  service.  If  the  colt  is  designed  for  farm  use,  it  is 
advisable  to  put  the  mare  to  a  farm  horse;  if  for. the  car- 
riage or  saddle,  she  should  be  bred  to  a  stallion  of  superior 
adaptation  for  one  or  the  other  purpose.  A  horse  for  rapid 
motion   should  possess  very  different  parts  from   the   farm 


THE   BYEBLY  TUEK. 


horse.  The  saddle  and  carriage  horse  should  be  of  the  same 
mold — light  and  free  of  limb,  with  a  height  of  not  more  than 
fifteen  hands  and  a  half.  The  farm  horses  may  be  of  idrger 
limb,  heavier  build,  and  stand  somewhat  higher. 


THE   MARE — HER   QUALITIES   AND   TREATMENT. 

Of  no  less  importance  is  it  to  understand  the  qualities  and 
capabilities  of  the  mare  than  those  of  the  horse.  Difficulties 
exist  in 'her  case  no  less  than  in  his,  and  practical  directions 


444  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

are  needed  in  both.  A  proper  understanding  of  the  faults 
and  deficiencies  of  the  mare,  which  vary  very  much  from 
those  of  the  stallion,  is  of  vital  consequence  to  the  breeder. 

Every  farmer*  knows  that  one  of  the  prerequisites  of  a 
good  crop  is  a  fertile,  productive  soil.  Now,  the  mare  may 
be  compared  to  the  soil  in  which  the  seed  is  cast,  and  it  is 
nearly  as  reasonable  to  expect  a  poor  soil  to  produce  a  full, 
prolific  crop,  as  a  poor,  worn-out  mare  to  bring  a  large, 
plump,  and  healthy  colt.  * 

Two  principal  characteristics  are  required  to  constitute  the 
mare  a  good  breeder.  The  first  is  body,  form — especially 
length  between  the  hips  and  shoulders,  to  give  room  for  the 
growth  of  the  foetus  without  crowding  the  intestines,  and  also 
breadth,  which  may  be  determined  by  the  width  of  the  back 
and  hips.  A  little,  short  mare,  with  a  peaked  back  and  hips, 
and  narrow,  tucked-up  belly,  can  never  make  a  good  breeder. 

The  second  essential  is  vitality.  Many  large  mares  are 
found  to  be  deficient  in  this  particular.  A  small  mare  often 
possesses  more  spirit  and  activity,  a  greater  share  of  vital 
energy  and  endurance,  than  one  that  is  larger.  Some  mares 
are  very  dull  and  stupid,  and  sluggish  in  all  their  motions. 
This  may  be  remedied,  to  some  extent,  by  securing  the  op- 
posite qualities  in  the  horse,  selecting  one  that  has  more 
than  an  average  degree  of  life  and  action.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  dam  is  full  of  animation,  the  sire  should  be  one 
remarkable  for  mildness  and  docility  rather  than  otherwise. 

As  regards  form  and  size,  opposite  qualities  should  be 
paired,  as  a  general  rule.  If  the  mare  is  small,  the  horse 
should  be  of  full  size.  If  the  former  is  of  large  or  medium 
size,  the  latter  may  be  somewhat  less.  But  in  no  case  shoiild 
the  mare  of  any  size  be  bred  to  a  very  small  horse,  unless  it 
is  desired  to  perpetuate  the  pony  breed. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  benefit  to  be  derived 
from  permitting  the  association  of  the  mare  with  the  horse 
for  several  days.  It  is  of  more  advantage,  in  fact,  to  the 
dam  than  to  the  sire.  The  instincts  of  Nature  will  decide 
the  proper  period  for  coition,  which  will  be  that  most  favor- 


BEEEDINa,  STOCK-RAISINa,  ETC.  445 

able  for  developing  the  germ  of  the  new  life.  As  matters 
are  usuall}^  managed,  the  case  is  often  far  otherwise.  One 
time  of  the  mare's  meeting  the  horse,  or  once  in  nine  days 
for  a  few  weeks,  is  not  what  Nature  designed,  and  the  cus- 
tomary hurry  is  really  detrimental  to  her.  The  wistful  look 
which  she  casts  behind  her  as  she  is  led  away,  indicates 
plainly  enough  her  pining  for  a  little  further  companion- 
ship. 

If  well  grown,  the  mare  may  commence  breeding  at  three 
years  of  age;  but  if  she  is  still  immature,  it  will  be  much 
better  to  wait  a  year  longer.  Some  persons  are  accustomed 
to  put  the  two-year  old  filly  to  a  horse.  This  is  wholly 
wrong,  for  at  thig  age  she  is  not  qualified  to  breed  at  all 
satisfactorily.  It  seriously  retards  her  own  growth,  and  may 
greatly  mar  her  form  and  beauty,  while  the  effect  "upon  her 
spirits  is  still  worse.     She  will  always  be  dull  and  heavy. 

As  a  general  rule,  it  is  not  best  to  continue  breeding  from 
the  mare  after  she  is  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age.  Some  will 
breed  successfully  a  few  years  longer,  while  others  at  that 
age  have  already  past  their  best  days.  Those  that  bring  a 
colt  every  year  fail  the  most  rapidly,  they  which  possess  but 
little  apparent  vitality  breaking  down  early.  It  requires  a 
nice  discrimination  to  determine  exactly  when  to  cease  breed- 
ing from  the  mare ;  but  it  will  be  better  to  stop  a  year  too 
soon  than  to  continue  too  long. 

The  question  of  feeding  the  mare  while  with  foal  is  one 
of  the  first  importance.  Here,  emphatically,  does  the  axiom 
apply  that  "  like  produces  like."  The  soil  must  be  rich, 
proper  supplies  of  nutrition  must  be  afforded  the  growing 
crop,  and  judicious  care  and  cultivation  must  be  bestowed, 
or  a  bountiful  harvest  can  not  be  expected.  '  The  mare  must 
receive  the  feed  and  attention  which  her  condition  demands, 
oi;  it  IS  unreasonable  to  look  for  a  fine  colt.  We  make  or 
mar  the  latter  by  the  treatment  extended  the  mother.  Many 
a  fine  mare,  bred  to  a  horse  equally  good,  has  produced  but 
an  inferior  offspring,  owing  to  bad  management  during  the 
period  of  gestation ;  and,  on  the  other  hadd,  many  a  common 


446  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

filly  has  raised  a  fine  colt  when  she  has  heen  well  fed  and 
attended  to. 

A  poor,  half-starved  mare  will  bring  a  puny  weakling  into 
the  world.  The  physical* condition  of  the  colt  depends  upon 
that  of  the  mother.  Not  only  does  he  derive  from  her  the 
principle  of  life,  but  the  conduct  of  the  vital  processes  in 
her  constitute  the  agencies  which  mold  his  entire  bodily  or- 
ganism— bone,  sinew,  tendon,  muscle,  and  all.  The  health 
of  the  mother  can  not  be  affected  without  corresponding 
detriment  to  the  foetus,  it  is  through  the  medium  of  her 
digestion  and  circulation  that  the  latter  is  nourished  and  ma- 
tured. If  she  is  well  fed,  the  colt  receives  his  share  of  the 
benefit,  and  if  she  is  impoverished,  the  colt  will  be  the  same. 

To  feed  the  mare  with  foal  upon  strong,  heating  diet  is  a 
great  mistake.  What  she  needs  is  moist,  nutritious  food, 
such  as  can  be  easily  digested  and  will  keep  the  bowels  loose. 
In  winter-time,  or  at  any  other  season  when  she  is  steadily 
worked,  chopped  feed,  with  provender,  is  the  best.  In  no 
case  let  her  be  gorged  with  corn ;  but  it  will  be  no  harm 
to  give  her  sparingly  of  corn-meal,  as  provender,  made  moist 
and  thoroughly  soaked.  If  it  is  in  time  of  pasture,  she  will 
need  no  other  feed.  In  the  latter  months  of  gestation  the 
food  may  be  increased.  She  requires  more  at  this  period, 
having  both  the  foal  and  herself  to  support,  and  the  former 
now  draws  heavily  upon  the  mother  for  his  sustenance;  yet, 
while  she  should  never  be  allowed  to  fall  off  and  become 
poor,  a  very  full,  plethoric  condition  is  decidedly  objectionable. 
In  fact,  it  is  still  more  hazardous  to  her  than  the  reverse. 

Concerning  the  qualities  of  the  feed,  too  great  care  is  im- 
possible. At  this  time,  of  all  others,  the  food  should  be 
pure,  nutritious,  and  wholesome.  Moldy  hay  or  fodder,  or 
injured  grain,  should  be  scrupulously  excluded  from  her  diet. 
Possibly  the  mother  might  resist  its  injurious  effects,  but  the 
foal  must  inevitably  suffer,  and  might  be  ruined  entirely. 
Thousands  of  colts  are  brought  into  the  world  in  a  diseased 
condition,  induced  by  the  unhealthy  food  upon  which  the 
mother  has  been  ccfmpelled  to  sustain  the  lives  of  both. 


'  .    BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  447 

Another  consideration  of  importance  is  the  amount  of 
labor  the  mare  may  perform.  It  is  better  for  her  to  do  light 
work,  at  least  up  to  within  seven  or  eight  weeks  of  foaling, 
at  which  time  she  should  be  relieved  of  all  service,  unless  it 
be  some  occasional  mild  exercise.  She  should,  also,  about 
this  time,  be  removed  from  other  animals,  that  she  may  not 
be  injured  by  them.  At  no  period  should  she  be  assigned 
any  very  hard  labor,  or  be  subjected  to  severe  strains.  As 
she  nears  the  time  of  foaling,  she  should  be  kept  where  she 
can  be  easily  watched,  so  that  if  any  difficulty  arises  during 
parturition  assistance  may  be  rendered  promptly. 

During  the  time  of  suckling,  the  mare  should  receive  the 
best  of  attention.  Her  food  should  be 
generous,  wholesome,  and  abundant. 
It  should  never  escape  the  mind  of  her 
keeper  that  she  now  has  two  lives  to 
support^  and  the  tax  upon  her  which 
the  colt's  necessities  occasion  is  very 
great.  Occasionally,  a  bran- mash  may 
be  given — rye-bran,  if  it  can  be  obtained ;  and  at  all  times 
plenty  of  chopped  feed,  good  sweet  hay,  and  oats  will  be 
just  .the  diet  for  her.  But  abstain  from  feeding  her  any 
corn.  If  pasture  can  be  procured,  she  will  do  better  on  this 
than  upon  any  thing  else.  As  feeding  the  mare  is  feeding 
the  colt  also,  nothing  should  be  allowed  her  that  can  injure 
the  latter,  as  some  articles  of  food  or  medicine  may  do 
without  seriously  affecting  the  stronger  organism  of  the 
mother. 

After  thirty  days,  if  she  is  again  in  season,  the  mare  may 
once  more  be  put  to  the  horse,  if  the  owner  is  determined 
to  have  her  bring  a  colt  every  year.  But  to  this  there  is 
a  grave  objection.  In  all  of  the  animal  creation,  a  state 
of  pregnancy  injuriously  affects  the  character  of  the  milk 
afforded  the  suckling  offspring.  Better  colts  can  be  raised 
by  breeding  the  mare  only  every  second  year. 

The  labor  of  the  mother  should  be  quite  light,  beginning 
not  before  a  month  or  six  weeks  after  foaling.     Except  for 


448  AMEEICAN  FAKMER'S  HORSE  BOOK;  * 

specially  urgent  reasons,  the  colt  should  never  be  prevented 
from  running  with  the  mother. 

THE   COLT   AND    HIS   TREATMENT. 

If  the  foal  is  sound  and  healthy,  he  will  need  no  especial 
attention  until  the  time  of  weaning,  which  will  generally  be 
at  the  end  of  about  six  months.  But  upon  this  point  no 
arbitrary  limitation  can  be  established.  The  condition  and 
developments  of  the  colt  must  determine  this  matter.  If  the 
youngster  is  thin  and  weakly,  he  should  be  allowed  to  re- 
main with  the  dam  for  a  month  or  two  longer,  and  in 
extreme  cases  even  more  than  this.  Fall  colts  should  always 
be  allowed  the  mother's  milk  till  the  grass  comes  in  the 
spring.  Many  fall  colts  are  weaned  too  soon,  and  they  nearly 
perish  during  the  barrenness  and  inclemency  of  winter.  This 
mistaken  practice  seems  to  be  the  real  origin  of  the  common 
belief  that  the  fall  colt  is  not  so  good  as  the  one  foaled  in 
spring.  It  is  impossible  that  he  should  be,  under  such  mis- 
management ;  for  the  rigor  of  winter  is  more  than  the  young 
creature  is  able  to  bear  when  left  to  shift  for  himself.  Let 
him  be  allowed  the  help  of  the  mother's  milk  until  the  young 
grass  of  spring  affords  him  a  suitable  substitute.  If  this  is 
done,  he  will  often  be  found  in  advance  of  the  yearling  that 
has  been  fed  during  the  winter. 

At  weaning-time  the  colt  should  be  entirely  removed  from 
the  sight  and  hearing  of  the  mare.  By  this  course  she  will 
soon  become  reconciled  to  her  loss,  whereas,  if  he  is  allowed 
to  remain  near  her,  she  will  continue  to  fret  under  the  sepa- 
ration, and  will  be  troublesome. 

Now  comes  the  important  matter  of  feeding  and  rearing 
the  colt,  second  not  even  to  that  of  the  care  of  the  dam  be- 
fore his  birth.  The  young  animal  will  be  pretty  much  what 
we  choose  to  make  him  by  our  treatment.  Fewer  ordinary 
colts,  by  far,  would  be  found  if  all  of  them  received  proper 
attention,  which  is  not  generally  the  case  in  our  country. 
Too  often  the  young  creature  is  the  victim  of  cruel  neglect 
and  hardships — compelled  to  stand  out  in  the  open  field,  by 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  449 

feome  hay-stack  or  straw-rick ;  or,  perhaps,  without  any  shel- 
ter whatever  to  protect  him  from  the  biting  frosts,  the  bleak 
winds,  the  driving  sleet,  and  the  deep  snows  of  winter ;  and 
frequently  with  nothing  to  support  life  but  corn-stalk  fodder, 
or  the  scanty  amount  of  food  pulled  from  the  hay-stack. 
Under  such  usage  he  barely  survives  the  winter,  and  starts 
with  the  spring  a  poor,  emaciated,  broken-down  starveling, 
destitute  of  all  spirit  and  vigor.  His  vital  energies  have  re- 
ceived a  shock  from  which  they  will  never  wholly  recover. 

Such  is  the  history  of  thousands  of  colts  all  over  the  land. 
In  many  sections  the  farmer  seems  to  know  no  better  than 
to  believe  that  colts  and  calves  require  no  housing  during 
the  winter,  when  the  fact  is  that  they  are  the  ones  most  of 
all  among  the  farmer's  stock  that  need  such  shelter.  The 
strong,  ha¥dy  horse  could  bear  these  exposures  much  better; 
but  it  is  not  he  that  is  turned  out  to  the  weather — ^it  is  the 
young,  tender  colt,  inured  to  no  hardships,  and  quite  unfitted 
to  brave  the  storm  and  cold,  that  is  compelled  to  undergo 
this  unfeeling  treatment.  If  stable-room  is  deficient,  make 
a  shelter  of.  some  kind  for  some  of  the  other  stock,  and  let 
the  colt  have  the  vacated  stall.  One  winter's  severe  exposure 
is  equivalent  to  the  loss  of  a  year's  growth.  The  colt  be- 
comes unthrifty  and  in  bad  plight,  and  shows  want  of  spirit 
and  activity;  whereupon  the  farmer  complains  that  he  has 
been  disappointed  in  that  colt ;  that  the  stock  is  not  what  he 
supposed  it  to  be,  with  more  language  of  the  same  sort ;  and 
all  the  while  the  colt  is  good  enough,  the  stock  all  that  he 
ever  imagined  it  to  be,  and  the  fault  lies  wholly  with  him- 
self. He  seems  to  have  forgotten  that  the  limit  of  the  en- 
durance belonging  to  colt-flesh  is  soon  reached,  and  really 
ought  to  wonder  that  the  poor  thing  has  lived  at  all. 

It  is  all-important  that  the  colt  "get  no  backset"  after 
weaning-time.  l^othing  will  pay  the  owner  better  than  kind, 
generous  attention  to  his  growing  stock.  The  young  animal 
needs  it  now;  his  flesh  an^  skin  are  tender;  his  bones  and 
joints  are  still  soft  and  unformed,  and  exposure  at  this 
period  often  works  irreparable  mischief.  The  joints  are  af- 
29 


450  AMEEICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

fected,  growing  unnaturally  large  and  stiff,  so  that  be  moves 
heavily,  and  with  lack  of  suppleness.  What  he  loses  at  this 
time  no  subsequent  care  can  entirely  make  up,  while  with 
the  treatment  he  is  likely  to  receive  from  such  an  owner  he 
can  never  be  other  than  an  inferior  animal.  Many  of  the 
diseases  that  develop  in  after  years  to  the  horse's  ruin  have 
their  foundations  laid  by  mismanagement  during  colthood. 
There  are  vastly  more  horses  with  stiff  limbs  and  spiritless, 
heavy  movement,  whose  condition  is  referable  to  this  cause 
alone,  than  one  farmer  in  fifty  is  willing  to  believe.  It  will 
cost  less  to  put  up  a  stable  sufficient  to  accommodate  six 
coUs,  than  the  loss,  in  a  single  winter,  upon  one  good  colt 
that  is  left  out  in  the  weather  to  shift  for  himself. 

Along  with  housing  comes  another  consideration  of  the 
highest  importance — feeding  the  colt.  The  pasture  is  em- 
phatically the  home  for  him,  so  that  while  it  lasts  there  need 
be  no  further  trouble  upon  this  head.  But  in  winter  let 
every  colt  have  his  separate  stall  in  a  dry,  warm  stable,  with 
good  bedding  and  all  the  attention,  in  respect  to  rubbing  and 
currying,  that  is  bestowed  upon  the  full-grown  horse.  His 
diet  should  be  a  mild  and  generous  one,  suited  to  his  young 
and  tender  state.  Let  the  owner  be  chary  of  giving  much 
dry  food.  Chopped  feed,  moistened,  is  more  necessary  for 
the  colt  than  for  even  the  mature  horse.  A  bran -mash  should 
be  given  him  as  often  as  once  or  twice  a  week  regularly. 

This  seems  to  be  an  appropriate  place  for  considering  the 
question  of  "inherited  diseases,"  concerning  which  so  much 
has  been  said  and  written.  English  veterinarians  have  pa- 
raded this  subject  before  the  public  to  an  extent  that,  to  our 
thinking,  is  absolutely  ridiculous.  According  to  them,  every 
disease  of  the  parents  will  be  transmitted  to  the  colt,  who 
will  be  afflicted  with  the  infirmities  of  both.  Says  Youatt, 
judicious  an  author  as  he  generally  ig :  "  There  is  scarcely 
a  disease  by  which  either  of  the  parents  is  affected  that  the 
foal  does  not  inherit,  or  at  least  show  a  predisposition  to. 
Even  the  consequences  of  ill-usage  or  hard  work  will  descend 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  451 

to  the  progeny.  There  has  been  proof  upon  proof  that  blind- 
ness, roaring,  thick  wind,  broken  wind,  spavin,  curb,  ring- 
bone, and  founder  have  been  bequeathed  to  their  offspring 
both  by  the  sire  and  the  dam." 

"Whatever  may  be  the  case  in  England  it  is  not  thus  in  our 
country.  Rarely,  indeed,  do  American  farmers  attempt  to 
breed  from  such  stock,  although  they  may,  perhaps,  do  so  in 
exceptional  instances,  where  it  is  the  mare  that  is  diseased — 
not  once  in  a  thousand  times,  however,  from  an  unsound 
horse ;  and  even  were  this  end  sought,  it  is  our  opinipn  that 
few  American  horses,  of  either  sex,  would  breed  when  dis- 
eased to  such  an  extent  as  to  transmit  their  maladies  to  their 
offspring. 

Nor  do  we*believe  that  hereditary  disease  is  of  nearly  so 
frequent  occurrence  in  England  as  the  books  would  persuade 
us.  The  disorders  called  such  are,  for  the  most  part,  such  as 
the  low,  damp,  dark  stables  of  their  great  cities,  in  which 
they  are  often  built  under  ground,  would  naturally  give  rise 
to;  and  here,  in  all  probability,  Is  one  great  source  of  mis- 
chief in  the  large  majority  of  cases.  Then  the  mistreatment 
of  the  mare  while,  with  foal,  together  with  the  unkind  and 
irrational  neglect  of  the  colt  after  weaning,  is  a  prolific  cause 
of  those  ailments  and  infirmities  to  which  the  first  years  of 
the  horse's  life  are  subject,  and  many  of  which  cling  to  him 
until  the  day  of  his  death.  Few  foals  make  their  advent 
into  the  world  otherwise  thati  in  at  least  a  tolerably  sound 
condition,  unless  abuse  of  the  mare  during  gestation  has  be- 
gotten some  innate  weakness  or  other,  when  neglect,  expos- 
ure and  abuse  will  rapidly  do  the  rest  in  dev^eloping  disease 
in  the  young  animal. 

Even  the  hereditary  character  of  certain  disorders  in  the 
human  being  is,  perhaps,  less  firmly  established  than  is  com- 
monly asserted;  but,  however  this  may  be,  the  so-called 
law  has  so  many  exceptions  when  attempted  to  be  applied 
to  the  horse,  that  one  can  hardly  help  pronouncing  it  in- 
operative, in  his  case.     Some  of  the  finest  colts  we  ever  knew 


452  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

have  been  raised  by  feeble  mares,  although  such  can  scarcely 
be  considered  the  rule. 

Highly  as  we  esteem  many  of  the  authorities  that  upon 
this  point  are  against  us,  still  we  are  -compelled  to  dissent 
from  the  sweeping  assertions  that  most  of  them  put  forth  in 
regard  to  the  dangers  of  transmitting  disease  from  one  gen- 
eration of  the  horse  to  another.  Our  concern  for  the  future 
of  his  race  in  America  is,  we  confess,  by  no  means  an  anx- 
ious one,  so  far  as  this  subject  bears  upon  it. 

CROSSING. 

A  judicious  and  restricted  system  of  crossing  may  be  of 
great  advantage  to  our  future  stock  of  horses;  but  a  promis- 
cuous, unguarded  one  will  prove  its  ruin.  The  practice  of 
breeding  in-and-in,  using  the  term  in  its  most  restricted  sense, 
has  been  proven,  by  the  past  history  of  the  horse,  to  be  detri- 
mental to  such  an  extent  as  to  prove  absolutely  ruinous. 
What  we  mean,  in  this  connection,  by  breeding  in-and-in,  is 
to  continue  breeding  together  members  of  the  same  family — 
blood  relations,  in  fact.  There  may  be  many  families  of  the 
same  race,  and  still  no  known  blood  connection  exist  between 
them.  Our  strictures  must  not  be  understood  to  mean  that 
Andalusian  may  not  be  bred  with  Andalusian,  Arabian  with 
Arabian,  or  the  pony  with  the  pony;  but  they  do  mean  to 
condemn,  most  emphatically,  the  practice  of  breeding  within 
the  limits  of  near  relationship — ;such  as  mother  and  8©n, 
brother  and  sister,  and  the  like.  Where  such  relationships 
are  known  to  exist,  the  intelligent  breeder  will  carefully 
avoid  permitting  any  connection. 

Any  race  of  horses  may  be  perpetuated  in  its  purity,  and 
even  improved,  by  bringing  together  remote  families  of  that 
race,  and  then  practicing  a  judicious  system  of  crossing  among 
them.  These  are  the  means  by  which  the  Arabs  of  the  des- 
ert maintain  the  wonderful  superiority  of  their  steeds ;  and 
the  instincts  of  Nature  have  performed  a  similar  service  for 
the  wild  horse  of  the  plains,  which  is  of  Spanish  origin,  and 
for  the  ponies  of  the  Indians.     We  must  enter  our  protest 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  453 

against  the  crossing  of  races  very  dissimilar  in  forn.,  size,  and 
habits.  The  Indian  pony  may  be  bred  to  the  finest  horse  in 
the  country,  even  the  imported  Arabian,  and  the  colt  will  be 
but  a  scrub,  having  few  or  none  of  the  good  qualities  of 
either  sire  or  dam.  All  subsequent  combinations  of  the  same 
sort  will  sink  below  the  standard  of  even  the  first  cross. 

The  art  of  successful  crossing  consists,  mainly,  in  bringing 
together  distinct  families  of  the  same  race,  but  of  some- 
what contrasted  forms  and  sizes.  The  mare  elevates  or  de- 
presses the  race  above  or  below  the  standard  of  the  horse 
according  as  her  qualities  are  superior  to  his  or  the  reverse. 
The  nearer  the  mare  is  to  the  horse  in  all  essentiaPqualities, 
the  nearer  will  be  the  colt.  If  she  is  superior  to  the  horse, 
she  will  generally  produce  offspring  of  the  same  relative  char- 
acter, though  more  or  less  inferior  to  herself.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  horse  be  the  superior  animal,  the  foal  will  be 
also,  iDut  not  so  good  as  his  sire. 

This  is  the  general  rule,  which  only  holds  good,  however, 
when  the  horse  breeds  his  own  stock  and  qualities.  Some- 
times he  breeds  back  to  several  generations  previous,  and 
this  may  occur  when  the  older  stock  is  either  better  or  worse 
than  himself.  Where  the  mingled  qualities  of  several  races 
exist  in  the  horse,  one  of  them  often  greatly  predominates  in 
the  foal.  There  can  be  no  certainty  in  breeding  from  a  horse 
of  this  character,  unless  some  particular  blood  is  known  to 
predominate  in  his  case  to  begin  with.  In  regard  to  the 
mare,  we  may  judge  with  more  accuracy;  her  size,  form, 
plight,  etc.,  will  indicate  pretty  clearly  the  kind  of  a  colt  we 
are  going  to  obtain. 

The  law  of  compensation,  so  much  dwelt  upon  by  many 
Writers,  we  regard  as  of  but  doubtful,  or,  at  least,  partial, 
application  in  respect  to  the  horse.  It  is  from  this  rule,  so- 
called,  that  the  practice  is  derived  of  meeting  the  deficient 
parts  or  qualities  of  either  parent  by  superior  excellence  in 
the  same  points  in  the  other.  For  instance,  if  the  mare  be 
faulty  as  to  breadth  of  chest,  the  horse,  it  is  said,  should  be 
particularly  well-developed  in  that  regard;  if  the  horse  be 


454  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

coarse-limbed,  the  mare  should  be  clean  of  limb  aud  supple 
jointed;  and  so  with  other  points  in  the  structure  of  either. 
'No  doubt  this  notion  is  correct  to  some  extent,  but  the 
limits  of  those  conditions  within  which  it  may  be  acted  upon 
with  definite  certainty  as  to  results  are  exceedingly  circum- 
scribed. ]^o  seriously  defective  mare  will  bring  a  fine  colt, 
let  the  excellence  of  the  horse  be  what  it  may.  It  is  only 
the  fine  mare,  of  superior  size,  mold,  and  condition,  that  can 
be  expected  to  bring  a  first-class  colt.  Such  mares,  and  no 
others,  should  be  selected  for  the  purpose  of  raising  colts  ;• 
and  if  any  others  are  permitted  to  breed  at  all,  they  should 
be  put  t^  the  jack,  in  which  case  they  may  do  pretty  well  in 
keeping  up  the  stock-raiser's  supply  of  mule  colts. 

CASTRATING. 

In  relation  to  the  age  of  the  colt  at  which  this  operation 
should  be  performed  there  is  a  great  diversity  of  opinion, 
even  among  experienced  horsemen.  The  limits  range  all 
the  way  between  the  age  of  four  months  and  two  years,  both 
which  extremes,  as  well  as  all  intermediate  periods,  have 
been  advised  in  different  cases.  These  differences  are  ar- 
ranged with  reference  to  certain  physical  developments  of 
the  colt,  which  are  deemed  essential  to  qualify  him  for  the 
duties  to  which  he  is  to  be  assigned  at  maturity.  Thus,  some 
writers  tell  us  that  the  colt  designed  for  the  carriage  or 
heavy  draught  should  not  be  cut  until  he  is  two  or  three 
times  older  than  his  companion  that  is  destined  to  the  com- 
mon purposes  of  the  farm. 

Our  own  opinion  is  that  castration  should  always  be  per- 
formed very  early ;  in  fact,  that  it  should  very  rarely  be  de- 
ferred to  even  the  age  of  four  months,  the  minimum  limit  as 
now  usually  established.  We  are  satisfied  that,  in  the  case 
of  pigs,  lambs,  and  calves,  at  least,  this  operation  can  hardly 
be  attended  to  too  early,  and  analogy  would  seem  to  indicate 
the  propriety  of  the  same  course  with  the  colt.  With  the 
beginning  of  the  latter's  second  year,  his  pubescence  is  at- 
tained.    Often  before  the  close  of  the  first  year  his  actions 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  455 

manifest  the  effects  of  the  growth  of  the  genital  organs,  and 
the  longer  their  removal  is  deferred  the  greater  becomes  the 
danger. 

During  the  months  of  suckling,  these  parts,  as  well  as  the 
arteries  that  supply  them  with  blood,  are  quite  diminutive, 
the  vessels  will  bleed  but  little  when  severed,  and  the  sensi- 
bility to  pain  will  be  comparatively  small.  At  this  period, 
then,  castration  will  not  cause  much  suffering ;  it  will  be  at- 
tended with  but  little  loss  of  blood,  and  no  clamps  or  searing 
will  be  needed.  The  application  of  a  little  fine  salt  and  tur- 
pentine will  remedy  the  evil  effects  of  the  operation ;  and 
any  one  that  is  competent  to  undertake  the  castration  of  a 
lamb  or  pig  can  be  safely  trusted  to  geld  the  young  colt. 
At  this  age,  too,  the  latter  can  be  handled  with  perfect  ease, 
and  without  running  those  risks  of  injuring  him  that  ac- 
company the  act  of  throwing  the  larger  animal,  preparatory 
to  castration. 

Those  who  oppose  the  practice  of  cutting  so  early  base 
their  objections  chiefly  upon  the  statements  that  the  colts 
gelded  so  young  do  not  make  as  well-developed  and  fine, 
spirited  horses  as  if  they  were  allowed  to  remain  entire  some 
time  longer.  But  if  the  objector  is  asked  to  specify  to  what 
extent  his  own  experience  and  observation  as  a  stock-raiser 
corroborate  these  views,  he  is  generally  at  a  loss  for  any  sat- 
isfactory answer.  He  will  tell  you  that  such  is  the  prevail- 
ing opinion  among  most  of  his  acquaintances ;  but  they  derive 
their  belief  from  the  opinions  of  others  still;  and  so  it  runs 
back  like  a  confused  tradition,  having  its  origin  no  one 
knows  where.  So  far  as  the  question  of  spirit  is  concerned, 
the  entire  horse  shows  no  great  excess  of  that  quality  save 
as  he  is  prompted  by  his  amorous  propensities.  When  brought 
down  to  ordinary  work,  or  used  under  the  saddle,  an  old 
stallion  is  one  of  the  most  stupid,  spiritless  creatures  in  the 
world. 

Another  objection  sometimes  urged  against  the  course  we 
have  recommended  is  the  difficulty  of  selecting  from  the  very 
young  colts  those  which  it  would  be  best  to  retain  for  stall- 


456  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  ITORSE  BOOK 

ions.  Many  persons  seem  to  think  that  this  is  a  question  which 
can  not  be  decided  until  the  colts  are  so  well  grown  that 
their  size  and  form  are  fully  determined,  whereas  it  is  one 
that  ought,  in  great  measure,  at  least,  to  have  been  settled 
before  the  foal  was  born,  by  such  considerations  as  the  blood 
and  qualities  of  the  parents  of  each. 

The  teachings  of  our  own  observation,  though  it  is  some- 
what limited,  are  decidedly  in  favor  of  very  early  castration. 
We  can  recall  a  number  of  cases  in  which  it  formed  no  draw- 
back to  a  perfect  physical  development  and  the  possession  of 
a  rare  combination  of  excellence  in  the  mature  horse.  In 
these  views  we  are  sustained  by  the  opinions  of  many  most 
judicious  and  highly-successful  breeders,  with  whom  we  have 
discussed  the  Subject.  English  veterinarians  seem  more  and 
more  inclined  to  favor  the  same  practice,  some  of  them  ex- 
pressing the  opinion  quite  emphatically  that  in  no  case  should 
castration  be  deferred  beyond  the  weaning-time  of  the  colt, 
as  the  mother's  milk  acts  as  a  great  preventive  of  inflamma- 
tion and  fever. 

Much  perplexity  and  some  trouble  is  often  encountered 
by  inexperienced  operators  in  castrating  young  colts,  from 
the  difficulty  of  finding  the  testicle,  which  has  not  yet  de- 
scended into  the  scrotum  from  within  the  abdomen,  where 
its  place  is  during  the  foetal  life,  and  for  some  time  after- 
ward. In  some  colts  they  always  remain  there,  but  usually 
drop  down  into  the  scrotum  between  the  ages  of  one  and 
two  years.  ITo  embarrassment  need  be  caused  hy  not  finding 
the  testicle  just  where  it  was  expected  to  be.  Let  the  operator 
find  the  orifice  just  in  front,  through  the  lining  of  the  belly, 
and  trace  back  the  clue  thus  obtained  to  the  testicle  itself, 
as  he  can  readily  do.  This  orifice  is  already  sufficiently  large 
to  allow  of  his  bringing  down  the  testicle,  which  is  about  two 
inches  within  the  orifice,  either  with  the  two  fore-fingers  or 
by  using  an  iron  spoon,  bent  forward  near  the  handle  and 
wrapped  around  with  cloth.  After  the  precise  location  of 
the  testicle  has  been  discovered,  this  instrument  will  readily 
scoop  it  out. 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAlSINa,  ETC.  457 

Castration  is  not  only  more  difficult  but  is  also  more  dan- 
gerous as  the  colt  grows  older,  and  especially  after  the  tes- 
ticles, having  descended  into  the  scrotum,  have  attained  a 
considerable  size.  The  weight  of  the  bowels,  combined  with 
the  struggles  of  the  animal,  and  his  springing  about  after- 
ward, is  often  sufficient  to  produce  hernia^  or  rupture,  thus 
ruining  him  forever,  if  not  putting  an  end  to  his  life  at  once. 
The  dangers  of  hemorrhage  and  inflammation  are  also  greatly 
increased. 

The  latter  part  of  April  or  the  beginning  of  May,  when 
there  is  plenty  of  fresh  young  grass  to  be  had,  is  the  best 
time  for  attending  to  this  matter.  Fall  colts  should  remain 
till  the  early  part  of  October,  or  until  the  hot  season  is  past. 
If  there  is  any  danger  of  the  fly,  a  little  turpentine  may  be 
mixed  with  fine  salt  and  applied  to  the  wound,  which  will 
efiectually  deliver  him  from  those  torments,  and  cau«e  no 
great  amount  of  suflering.  It  will  also  tend  to  heal  the  parts 
rather  than  otherwise.  If  cold  rains  come  on  while  the  colt  is 
still  sore,  both  he  and  the  dam  should  be  comfortably  stabled. 

In  all  parts  of  the  country  there  are  persons  who  follow 
this  business,'  and  whose  services  may  readily  be  procured 
if  the  farmer  desires  them.  This  will  be  the  best  and  safest 
course  when  the  operation  has  been  deferred  until  late. 

The  operation  hy  torsion,  as  it  is  called,  introduced  into 
England  rather  more  than  one-third  .of  a  century  ago,  prob- 
ably forms  the  mode  of  castration  preferable  to  any  other, 
especially  if  the  colt  has  attained  many  months'  growth.  It 
is  thus  described  by  Youatt : 

"An  incision  is  made  into  the  scrotum  as  in  the  other 
modes  of  operation,  and  the  vas  deferens  is  exposed  and  di- 
vided. The  artery  is  then  seized  by  a  pair  of  forceps  con- 
trived for  the  purpose,  and  twisted  six  or  seven  times  round. 
It  retracts  as  soon  as  the  hold  on  it  is  quitted,  the  coils  are 
not  untwisted,  and  all  bleeding  has  ceased.  The  testicle  is 
removed,  and  there  is  no  sloughing  or  danger.  The  most 
painful  part  of  the  operation — the  application  of  the  firing- 
iron  or  the  clams — is  avoided,  and  the  wound  readily  heals." 


458 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  !B00K:. 


The  practice  of  twitching,  resorted  to  by  some  as  a  means 
of  shirking  a  disagreeable  job,  is  an  outrage  and  barbarity. 
It  consists  in  tying  a  small  cord  around  the  bag,  so  as  to  de- 
stroy the  circulation,  tightening  it,  if  necessary,  and  letting  it 
remain  thus  until  the  scrotum,  with  all  its  contents,  drops 
off.  !N'ot  only  are  the  sufferings  occasioned  by  this  disgrace- 
ful and  slovenly  method  extremely  severe,  but  inflammation 
and  death  often  ensue. 

THE    MULE.  jk 


The  business  of  raising  mules  has  become  an  extensive 
and  important  interest  in  our  country.     In  Kentucky  and 

Tennessee  immense  numbers 
are  reared  every  year  for 
the  Southern  market.  They 
have  been  found  much  better 
suited  to  the  requirements  of 
the  cotton  plantations  than 
horses.  They  work  freer  and 
with  less  trouble,  are  more 
hardy,  stand  the  climate  bet- 
ter, ^nd  are  not  so  easily  af- 
fected by  the  neglect  and  cruelty  of  the  negroes  and  others 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISINa,  ETC.  459 

who  use  them.  On  the  score  of  economy,  also,  they  deserve 
all  the  favor  that  has  been  awarded  them  in  those  sections, 
and  vastly  more  than  they  commonly  receive  at  the  North. 
,  The  mule  does  not  eat  more  than  from  one-half  to  three- 
fifths  as  much  as  the  horse,  which,  when  feed  is  high,  is  an 
item  of  importance. 

Though  not  wholly  exempt  from  disease,  the  mule  is  in- 
comparably a  healthier  animal  than  the  horse,  particularly 
on  the  Southern  plantations,  where  most  of  the  latter  race 
were  originally  brought  from  other  latitudes.  As  to  his  ca- 
pabilities for  service,  not  only  is  he  the  equivalent  of  horse- 
power, but  he  will  last  more  than  double  the  number  of 
years  that  his  more  pretentious  congener  will.  The  aver- 
age period  of  service  of  the  horse  is  about  ten  years,  begin- 
ning at  the  age  of  three,  and,  although  some  -horses  last 
considerably  longer  than  this,  there  are  quite  as  many  that 
fail  before  completing  their  thirteenth  year.  The  average 
period  of  service  of  th6  mule  is  nearly,  or  quite,  twenty-five 
years.  He  sometimes  begins  to  fail  at  twenty  years  old,  and 
in  other  cases  remains  as  good  as  ever  until  nearly  thirty. 
Few  of  his  race  are  worth  much  after  that  age.  One  mule, 
then,  in  his  lifetime,  will  ordinarily  do  the  work  of  more 
than  two  horses,  at  an  expense  each  year  of  from  thirty-five 
to  fifty  per  cent,  less  in  keeping. 

Another  important  consideration  is,  that  the  mule  thrives 
best  on  dry  feed  and  grain  unground.  How  far  otherwise 
it  is  with  the  horse  our  reiterations  have  already  acquainted 
the  reader  in  the  preceding  chapters.  The  horse's  feed  should 
be  all  chopped  or  ground ;  his  diet  should  be  light  and  moist ; 
and  corn  is  unquestionably  injurious  to  him,  especially  when 
he  has  to  bite  it  from  the  cob.  Just  the  reverse  of  all  this 
suits  the  mule  best.  Corn,  which  is  his  favorite  food,  never 
appears  to  have  any  ill-eflects  upon  his  system,  and  nothing 
is  better  adapted  to  his  needs  than  dry  hay,  if  it  be  good 
and  sweet.  This  is  an  item  of  some  consequence  when  the 
saving  of  the  miller's  toll — never  less  than  one-eighth — and 
the  time  and  labor  of  going  to  mill  are  all  reckoned  up.     It 


460  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

will  make  the  aggregate  difference  between  the,  horse's  keep- 
ing and  that  of  the  mule  hardly  ever  less  than  one-half. 

The  cost  of  wintering  a  mule  in  1860  was  computed  to  be 
ten  dollars  less  than  that  of  a  horse.  In  1866  this  must  cer- 
tainly be  increased  to  not  less  than  fifteen  dollars.  In  the 
former  year  there  were  about  half  a  million  of  mules  in  the 
United  States,  whose  employment,  instead  of  horses,  thus 
formed  an  aggregate  saving  to  the  country  of  five  millions 
of  dollars  in  the  cost  of  wintering  alone.  This  greatly  su- 
perior economy  attending  the  use  of  the  mule,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  his  readiness  to  labor,  his  comparative  freedom 
from  disease,  and  his  double  longevity,  makes  the  calcula- 
tion largely  in  his  favor  as  a  trusty  and  valuable  servant. 

There  is  also  more  certainty  in  breeding  mules  than  horses. 
The  mare  is  more  likely  to  become  with  foal  by  a  jack  than 
by  a  horse,  and  the  same  proportion  of 
accidents  do  not  occur  in  her  foaling. 
Every  breeder  knows  how  much  less 
trouble  it  is  to  raise  a  mule  colt  than  a 
horse.  Another  consideration  of  some 
weight  is,  that  almost  any  scrub  of  a 
mare  will  bring  nearly  as  good  a  mule 
colt  as  will  one  with  the  very  best  blood.  The  offspring 
may  be  small  and  compact,  but  he  is  none  the  less  valuable 
on  that  account;  and,  in  fact,  some  reasons  really  make  him 
more  desirable  than  many  a  larger  animal — especially  his 
greater  hardiness  and  less  expensiveness  in  keeping,  from 
the  fact  that  he  eats  so  much  less. 

A  mare  that  has  once  brought  a  mule  colt,  should  never 
afterward  breed  to  the  horse,  as  her  progeny  in  the  latter 
case  will  be  noticeably  inferior.  By  precisely  what  physiolo- 
gical laws  this  matter  is  governed  can  not  be  easily  ex- 
plained, but  the  fact  is  indisputable.  Fine  blooded  mares,  of 
superior  size  and  form,  should  always  be  bred  to  the  horse, 
and  all  others  that  are  bred  from  at  all  should  be  reserved 
for  the  purposes  of  mule-raising. 

Not  only  is  the  mule  much  better  adapted  than  the  horse 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  461 

to  the  performance  of  the  ordinary  labors  of  the  farm,  but 
he  does  better  in  heavily-loaded  wagons  upon  the  road,  and 
is  especially  preferable  for  the  movement  of  machinery.  Here 
his  superior  powers  of  endurance  give  him  such  an  advantage, 
that  in  these  services  he  will  often  last  nearly  as  many  years 
as  the  horse  will  months. 

One  idea  that  used  to  be  quite  prevalent,' and  is  still  enter- 
tained by  some,  in  regard  to  the 'mule,  is  very  erroneous,  and 
that  is  that  he  is  never  diseased.  But  that  he  is  much  less 
liable  to  disease  than  the  horse  is  undeniably  true,  and  a  fact 
to  which  we  are  fully  prepared  to  add  our  corroborative  tes- 
timony, from  a  long  experience  with  both.  Yet  we  have 
known  the  mule  to  be  afflicted  with  a  large  majority  of  the 
ailments  to  which  horse-flesh  is  heir,  and  have  had  occasion 
to  treat  him  for  them.  AVhen  the  ravages  of  big  head  were 
at  their  highest  in  Western  Tennessee  and  Northern  Missis- 
sippi, during  the  years  from  1848  to  1850,  inclusive,  thou- 
sands of  mules  in  that  region  were  numbered  among  its 
victims,  and  many  similar  cases  occurred  in  other  sections  of 
the  Southern  States.  We  have  repeatedly  seen  them  suffer- 
ing from  spavin,  ring-bone,  narrow  heel,  founder,  fistula, 
colic;  diseases  of  the  lungs,  of  the  skin,  of  the  glands  of 
the  throat,  of  the  urinary  organs,  etc.  Perhaps  they  are  not 
much  less  subject  than  the  horse  to  certain  constitutional 
diseases,  such  as  distemper,  farcy,  and  glanders.  But  even 
here  one  striking  advantage  remains  with  the  mule — disease 
yields  much  more  readily  to  treatment  than  when  it  attacks 
the  horse. 

A  very  unjust  prejudice  against  the  mule  exists  in  the 
minds  of  many,^having  its  origin  in  the  incorrect  notion  that 
the  mingling  of  the  blood  of  the  horse  and  ass  is  prohibited 
in  the  Bible,  in  support  of  which  view  they  quote  the  in- 
junction to  the  Jews,  "  Thou  shalt  not  let  thy  cattle  gender 
with  a  diverse  kind."  This  precept  is  but  a  written  inter- 
pretation of  one  of  I^ature's  fundamental  laws,  yet  it  is  by 
no  means  clear  that  these  two  animals  are  of  types  so  dis- 
similar as  to  come  within  its  limitation.     The  gendering  of 


462  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

totally  diverse  kinds,  wherever  attempted,  has  either  heen 
wholly  unproductive  or  has  resulted  in  some  monstrosity  for 
a  progeny.  Such  is  not  the  case  with  the  mule,  though 
himself  incapable  of  breeding,,  and  this  circumstance  alone 
is  a  great  argument  in  favor  of  his  legitimacy  in  the  animal 
creation.  Judged  by  the  test  of  usefulness  and  adaptability, 
the  mule  may  claim  a  high  rank  among  the  domestic  animals. 

That  the  Divine  interdiction  was  not  construed  by  the 
Jews  in  this  restricted  sense  appears  plainly  from  several 
references  to  the  mule  throughout  the  historical  books  of 
the  Old  Testament.  For  instance,  when  David,  in  the  zenith 
of  his  power  and  glory,  as  king  of  Israel,  commanded  cer- 
tain of  his  attendants  to  "  take  with  you  the  servants  of 
your  Lord,  and  cause  Solomon,  my  son,  to  ride  upon  mine 
own  mule,  and  bring  him  down  to  Gihon,"  it  is  evident  that 
he  intended  a  compliment  and  honor  to  the\royal  heir.  And 
Solomon,  in  the  height  of  his  almost  unexampled  prosperity 
and  glory,  received  "horses  and  mules"  as  tribute,  among 
such  costly  articles  as  "  vessels  of  silver,  vessels  of  gold,  gar- 
ments, spices,"  etc.  It  seems  little  likely  that  the  inspired 
record  would  have  such  facts  to  recount  had  the  ancient 
people  of  God  understood  that  the  very  existence  of  the 
mule  was  due  to  the  violation  of  an  express  command  of  the 
Divine  law-giver. 

It  is  none  of  our  business  to  enter  upon  a  thorough  dis- 
cussion of  what  was  really  intended  by  this  prohibition.  Our 
object  is  simply  to  exonerate  and  defend  the  much-abused 
and  ui^ustly-despised  mule,  and  to  relieve  the  minds  of  the 
scrupulously  conscientious  of  the  fear  that  in  breeding  that 
useful  servitor  of  man  they  are  coming  in  cpuflict  with  the 
revealed  will  of  the  Creator.  To  our  mode  of  thinking  there 
can  be  no  valid  objection  to  breeding  together  the  mare  and 
jack,  if  it  suits  the  interest  and  convenience  of  the  farmer 
to  do  so. 

STOCK   FARMS. 

Under  this  head  we  wish  to  embody  a  few  general  but 
highly-important  directions  in  regard  to  the  management 


463 

of  those  farms  devoted  principally,  or  partially,  to  the  rear- 
ing of  stock,  so  far  as  this  subject  relates  to  the  horse  and 
mule. 

It  is  a  great  fault  on  many  farms  of  this  character  that 
there  are  no  suitable  buildings,  or  at  least  no  sufficiency  of 
them,  for  the  shelter  of  stock,  and  especially  of  the  young 
and  growing  colts.  Such  negligence  is  a  great  mistake,  and 
one  for  which  the  farmer  has  to  pay  dearly  in  a  pecuniary 
sense.  It  is  almost  as  needful  that  his  stock  should  be  af- 
forded proper  shelter  from  the  storm  and  cold  as  that  the 
hay  and  grain  they  eat  should  be  well  secured.  The  subject 
of  stabling  was  considered  in  the  last  chapter  at  sufficient 
length  for  all  the  purposes  necessary  in  this  volume. 

But,  in  addition  to  dry  and  commodious  stables  for  winter 
use,  shelter  should  be  provided  sufficiently  large  4;o  accom- 
modate all  the  young  horses  and  mules  during  the  cold  rains 
and  storms  of  the  spring  and  fall  season ;  and  these  should 
be  either  in  the  pasture  itself  or  accessible  from  it.  The 
size  of  the  shelter  should  be  proportioned,  of  course,  to  the 
number  of  animals  to  be  accommodated.  A  shelter  of 
twenty  feet  square  will  be  large  enough  for  twenty  colts, 
if  there  be  a  partition  run  down  the  middle,  as  there  al- 
ways should  be.  On  each  side  of  this  ten  can  stand  very 
comfortably.  The  construction  of  such  a  shelter  is  very 
simple,  and  need  not  be  expensive.  All  that  is  required,  in 
addition  to  a  roof,  set  on  posts  eight  feet  high,  and  resting 
on  large  flat  stones  to  keep  them  from  the  ground,  will  be 
an  inclosure  of  the  north  and  west  sides  with  boards.  A 
cheap  substitute  for  the  latter,  and  one  that  will  last  for  sev- 
eral months,  is  a  compact  wall  of  good  wheat  or  rye  straw, 
straight  and  strong,  bound  up  in  long,  continuous  sheaves  or 
layers,  set  perpendicularly,  and  secured  within  two  or  three 
boards  placed  horizontally  and  fastened  to  the  posts.  The 
division  through  the  center  should  consist  of  a  rack  to  hold 
hay  or  straw,  and  when  the  grass  begins  to  fail  late  in  the  fall, 
or  before  it  has  grown  much  in  early  spring,  a  supply  of  these 
articles  of  fodder  should  be  kept  in  it,  so  that  the  colts  may 


464  AMEKICAN  FAEMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

be  fed  here  as  well  as  sheltered.  Troughs  should  be  arranged 
under  the  racks,  to  put  other  feed  in  when  the  colts  may  re- 
quire it. 

It  will  here  be  proper  again  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
practical  stock-raiser  to  the  diseased  condition  that  so  often 
characterizes  the  colt's  mouth,  as  a  consequence  of  teething. 
Perhaps  the  best  place  to  give  the  young  animal  the  rem- 
edies that  will  correct  this  state  will  be  right  here  in  these 
feeding-troughs.  The  shabby  plight  of  many  a  colt  proceeds 
from  indigestion,  caused  and  kept  up  by  the  soreness  and  in- 
flammation of  the  mouth  and  gums.  Good  wood  ashes,  with 
plenty  of  salt,  kept  constantly  in  the  feeding-troughs,  will 
have  the  happiest  eftect  in  abating  the  evils  referred  to,  and 
in  mitigating  the  sufferings  of  colthood.  Sulphur,  also,  may 
be  used  in  the  same  way  with  very  marked  benefit.  Kot  only 
is  it  worth  a  thousand  times  its  cost,  as  a  preventive  of  dis- 
ease, but  it  will  effectually  destroy  and  keep  away  vermin  of 
every  description. 

On  many  farms  there  exists  a  great  lack  of  shade-trees, 
not  a  few  pastures  being  totally  destitute  of  them,  and  this 
is  another  most  weighty  reason  for  the  erection  of  such 
shelters  as  we  have  described.  It  is  absolutely  essential  to 
the  comfort  and  well-being  of  stock,  especially  of  the  colts, 
that  they  have  some  cool  retreat  under  which  to  retire  from 
the  burning  rays  of  our  midsummer  and  dog-day  suns ;  and 
where  there  are  no  trees  to  afford  a  natural  shade,  an  arti- 
ficial substitute  for  them  becomes  a  necessary  appendage 
upon  every  well-regulated  stock  farm. 

Shade-trees  are  the  beauty  and  blessing  of  the  pasture, 
and  there  will  be  a  very  perceptible  difierence  in  the  fall 
between  the  appearance  of  a  colt  that  runs  in  a  well-shaded 
pasture  and  that  of  another  which  has  no  shelter  from  the 
noon-day  heats.  The  young  animal  can  not  be  continually 
exposed  to  the  down-pouring  of  the  sun's  fierce  rays,  through 
the  hottest  months  of  the  year,  without  suffering  plainly 
from  debility  and  depression.  One  of  the  first  things  to  be 
done  in  a  new  pasture,  if  shade  is  unfortunately  lacking  in 


BREEDING,  STOCK-RAISINa,  ETC.  465 

it,  is  to  take  measures  at  once  to  supply  the  deficiency.  Trees 
should  be  set  out  in  different  parts  of  the  field,  reference  be- 
ing had  to  convenience  of  location,  character  of  the  soil,  and 
other  circumstances  that  the  intelligent  farmer  will  not  be 
likely  to  overlook.  The  preferable  tree  for  the  pasture  is-  the 
black  locust.  It  will  grow  very  thrifty  on  even  a  poor,  rocky 
point  ^'  it  bears  a  large  sweet  blossom,  which,  as  well  as  the 
leaves^is  very  healthful  for  stock;  and  the  grass  that  comes 
under  it  will  be  of  more  luxuriant  growth,  and  prove  more 
palatable  than  the  pasturing  under  any  other  tree.  On  some 
rich  flat  the  sugar-maple  may  be  planted ;  and  beside  the 
creek  or  branch,  if  there  be  one,  the  willow,  slip  may  be  set 
out  and  will  grow  with  surprising  rapidity.  The  locust  also 
grows  rapidly,  and  all  these  trees  make  a  fine  shade  and  are 
valuable  for  wood,  rails,  and  timber.  For  making  rails  and 
fence-posts,  the  locust  is  almost  unequaled.  Locust  rails 
will  last  a  century. 

Shrubbery  is  a  desirable  feature  in  any  pasture,  and  there 
are  special  reasons  why  even  the  briars  may  profitably  be 
retained  on  poor,  thin,  or  stony  knobs,  and  along  the  gullies 
and  ravines.  The  blackberry  bush  will  enrich  a  poor  soil 
almost  as  fast  as  any  other  known  appliance,  while  the  roots 
will  effectually  prevent  any  washing  away  during  heavy 
rains.  It  is  excellent,  also,  as  a  preventive  of  disease  in  some 
cases,  as  well  as  a  remedy.  Instinct  teaches  the  h^rse,  and 
other  animals,  ma^y  facts  that  concern  his  health  and  pros- 
perity, and  thus  the  leaves  of  several  trees  and  weeds,  and 
even  those  of  the  bramble-bush  become  the  medication  to 
which  ligature  bids  them  resort.  The  principal  value  of  the 
blackberry  in  the  pastures  arises  from  its  astringent  qual- 
ities, which  make  it  of  the  greatest  service  in  relieving  the 
"scours"  that  is  so  common  among  young  colts  in  the  early 
spring,  and  which  keep  many  of  them  thin  and  poor  for . 
nearly  the  whole  season.  This  trouble  generally  disappears 
when  patches  of  briars  can  be  got  at,  since  both  horses  and 
cattle  eat  of  the  leaves  freely.  Of  course  the  briars  should 
not  be  permitted  to  overspread  the  whole  field,  or  to  occupy 
30 


466  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

the  choice  parts,  but  only  such  locations  as  we  have  specified. 
When  we  consider  that  they  bear  a  most  delicious  fruit  for 
table  use,  it  seems  still  more  unwise  to  destroy  them  al- 
together. 

Small  fields  are  better  than  large  ones,  in  the  division  of 
the  pasture  lands  upon  the  farm.  Frequent  changes  from 
one  field  to  another  will  be  beneficial  to  the  stock,  and  like- 
wise to  the  pastures.  "  A  change  of  pasture  makes  fat 
calves."  The  saying  is  old  and  trite,  but  it  states  a  truth, 
nevertheless,  and  applies  equally  to  the  colt.  By  this  course, 
too,  the  field  will  afibrd  considerably  more  grazing,  taking 
the  season  throughout. 

If  it  can  be  so  arranged,  colts  of  different  ages  should  be 
kept  in  separate  fields ;  or,  rather,  the  older  horses,  unless  it 
be  some  old  mother  mares,  should  not  be  allowed  to  run 
with  the  colts.  If  any  of  the  latter  do  not  thrive  well,  but 
remain  in  bad  plight,  let  the  farmer  separate  them  from  the 
rest  and  try  to  learn  what  the  matter  is,  and  then  set  to  work 
to  remedy  the  evil.  When  a  number  of  colts  are  running  to- 
gether, the  weaker  and  smaller  ones  are  sometimes  greatly 
abused  by  those  that  are  larger  and  stronger.  This  should 
be  seen  to  in  all  cases,  and  such  arrangements  made  as  will 
insure  the  feebler  stock  a  fair  chance. 

The  question  of  water  is  a  very  important  one.  Dead 
ponds  and  mud-holes  are  not  what  is  needed  on  a  stock  farm. 
They  are  hardly  any  better  suited  to  the  horse's  uses  than 
they  are  to  those  of  the  human  being,  and  many  colts  are 
enfeebled  and  often  diseased  by  having  only  such  water  af- 
forded them  to  drink.  Fortunate,  indeed,  is  that  farmer 
who  has  a  spring  or  a  running  stream  within  his  pasture. 
In  the  absence  of  such  a  blessing  to  his  stock  a  good  well 
is  the  next  resource,  and  should  be  immediately  sunk  and 
fitted  up  with  a  good  chain-pump,  and  a  large  trough  to  l\old 
the  water.  Artificial  ponds  deserve  universal  condemnation ; 
they  are  cess-pools  of  filth  and  disease.  It  is  much  easier, 
we  know,  to  let  btock  run  to  the  mud-hole,  and  help  them- 
selves to  such  dirty  water  as  they  can  find  there,  than  it  is 


BKEEDING,  STOCK-RAISING,  ETC.  467 

to  pump  from  the  well,  once  or  twice  a  day,  the  supply  of 
drink  that  they  need ;  but  it  will  not  pay  to  save  labor  in 
any  such  manner  as  this.  Any  running  water,  or  the  pools 
in  the  hed  of  a  rocky-bottomed  creek,  will  do  for  stock.  If 
it  can  be  avoided,  no  water  should  be  given  the  horse,  ex- 
cept such  as  we  are  willing  to  use  ourselves.  Upon  this 
point  most  farmers  are  very  heedless  generally,  perhaps,  be- 
cause they  do  not  know  to  what  extent  their  inattention  or 
indolence  may  injure  the  horse. 


468 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES. 


The  appearance  and  shape  of  the  teeth  constitute  what  is 
most  generally  relied  upon  as  a  means  of  determining  the 
age  of  a  horse ;  and,  in  connection  with  other  circumstances, 
concerning  which  the  experienced  horseman  will  always  as- 


THE  MOUTH  OF  A  THEEK-YEAR  OLD. 

B,  Anterior  maxillary  bone. 

1  1,  Central  permanent  nippers,  nearly  full-grown. 

2  2,  Milk  teeth,  worn  down. 

3  3,  Corner  milk  teeth,  still  showing  central  mark,  or  kerneL 

4  4,  Tushes  concealed  within  the  jaw. 


MAKKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES. 


469 


certain  full  particulars,  if  it  be  possible  to  do  so,  they  leally 
form  a  quite  accurate  mark  of  age,  until  the  animal  is  some- 
what past  his  prime.  The  anatomy  and  names  of  the  three 
kinds  of  teeth  found  in  the  horse's  mouth  have  been  given  as 
fully  as  the  practical  farmer  and  breeder  will  care  about  Know- 
ing, in  Chapters  II  and  X.    All  that  now  remains  to  be  done 


MOUTH  OF  THE  COLT  AT  POCR  AND  A  HALF  YEARS. 


A,  Anterior  maxillary  bone. 

1  1,  Central  nippers,  considerably  worn  down. 

2  2,  The  next  pair,  fully  developed,  with  their  edges  slightly  worn. . 

3  3,  Corner  permanent  nippers,  in  a  state  of  growth,  with  the  edges  of  the 

cavity  sharp,  and  the  mark  very  plain. 

4  4,  The  tushes  showing  themselves  through  the  gums,  but  not  full-grown. 

is  to  point  out  the  peculiarities  which  generally  characterize 
the  teeth  at  different  periods  of  the  horse's  life,  and  by  which 
bis  age  may  be  determined  with  considerable  exactness. 


470 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 


At  birth,  or  within  two  or  three  days  afterward,  the  moutli 
of  the  foal  shows  two  grinders  on  each  side,  above  and  below — 
eight  altogether — and  this  is  all.  When  four  front  teeth,  or 
nippers,  have  fairly  come  through,  two  in  each  jaw,  he  is  ten 


UPPER  NIPPEB8  AND  TUSHES  AT  FIVE  YEABS  OLD. 

1  1,  Central  nippers,  with  mark  still  unobliterated. 

2  2,  Next  nippers,  with  mark  still  plainer. 

3  3,  Corner  nippers,  with  the  edges  very  slightly  worn. 

4  4,  Tushes,  well-developed,  and  still  plainly  showing  the  groove  on  the  out- 

side. 

or  twelve  days  old;  and  when  the  next  four  appear,  one 
upon  each  side  of  the  others  in  both  jaws,  he  is  nearing  the 
close  of  his  first  month.  The  protrusion  of  the  corner  teeth — 
that  is,  the  third  pair  of  nippers  in  each  jaw — indicates  an 


MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES. 


471 


age  of  about  eight  months.  At  one  year  old,  the  central  and 
the  second  pairs  of  nippers  are  worn  nearly  level,  and  the 
corner  tooth,  which  is  now  of  the  same  length  as  its  neigh- 
bors, is  rapidly  becoming  so. 

The  two-year  old  colt  has  the  mark,  or  kernel — the  dark, 
hard  substance  in  the  middle  of  the  crown  of  the  tooth — 
ground  quite  out  of  all  the  front  teeth,  or  nippers.     So  far 


LOWER  NIPPEBS  AND  TUSHES  OP  A  FIYE-YEAB  OLD  HORSE. 

1  1,  Central  nippers,  with  their  marks  almost  entirely  worn  out. 

2  2,  Next  nippers,  showing  marks  partially  worn. 

3  3,  Corner  nippers,  with  the  marks  plainly  seen,  but  the  edges  giving  evi- 

dence of  wear. 

4  4,  Tushes,  with  the  groove  inside  aln\ost  obliterated. 

the  young  animal  has  got  along  very  well  with  his  milk  teeth, 
but  now  he  begins  to  need  others,  not  merely  larger,  but  also 
of  a  firmer,  more  durable  composition  and  setting ;  and  this 
necessity  Nature  meets  by  commencing  the  replacement  of 
the  first  set  by  the  'permanent  teeth.    This  operation  begins 


472 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


with  the  first  grinder — the  forward  one;  but  as  the  grinders 
are  all  of  them  too  far  back  in  the  mouth  to  be  easily  in- 
spected, we  must  continue  to  depend  mainly  upon  what  we 
can  discover  in  connection  with  the  nippers. 

During  the  third  year  the  central  nippers  are  being  shed — 
or  shifted,  as  it  is  often  called — and  by  the  time  it  is  com- 


LOWER  NIPPBBS  AND  TUSHES  OF  A  SIX-YEAR  OLD  HORSE. 

B,  The  lower  jaw. 

1  1,  The  central  nippers,  with  the  marks  worn  out. 

2  2,  The  next  nippers,  with  the  marks  disappearing. 

3  3,  The  corner  nippers,  showing  the  mark  plainly  enough,  but  with   the 

edges  of  the  cavity  considerably  worn. 

4  4,  The  tushes,  standing  up  three-quarters  of  an  inch,  with  their  points  only 

slightly  blunted. 

pleted,  the  permanent  pair  have  become  nearly  full-grown. 
(See  cut  of  the  mouth  of  a  three-year  old.)  In  the  fourth 
year,  the  same  changes  occur  in  the  second  pair  of  nippers ; 


MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES. 


473 


and  about  the  time  oj  entering  upon  the  fifth  year,  the  tushes, 

or  bridle  teeth,  are  generally  in  plain  sight. 

\    At  the  age  of  five  years,  the  mouth  is  complete  in  the 

dumber  of  its  teeth,  and  is  now  said  to  be  "  a  full  mouth." 

six  years,  the  central  nippers  of  the  lower  jaw  are  so 


UPPER  NIPPERS  IN  T^eIGHT-TEAR  OLD  HORSE. 

A,  Anterior  maxillary  bone. 

1  1,  Central  nippers,  worn  to  a  plane  ^face,  or  nearly  so. 

2  2,  Next  pair,  still  showing  some  remny  of  the  cavity. 

3  3,  Corner  nippers,  showing  the  mark  plV^iy  enough. 

4  4,  Tushes,  worn  down  more  than  in  the  \o\j.  jaw  of  the  six-year  old  mouth. 

much  worn  down  that  the  kernel  \^  obliterated,  and  the 
tushes  have  attained  their  full  growth\ 

At  seven  years,  a  hook  has  been  form6(^on  the  corner  teeth 
of  the  upper  jaw,  the  kernel  of  the  seconVpair  of  nippers  in 
the  lower  jaw  is  no  longer  visible,  and  t^e  tushes  plainly 


# 


474 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


show  the  effects  of  wear.  At  eight  y^rs,  the  kernel  is  worn 
away  from  all  the  nippers  of  the  lower  .jaw,  and  is  becoming 
much  less  conspicuous  in  the  central  pair  of  the  upper  jaw, 
or  in  the  wholly  stable-fed  horse  has  disappeared  altogether. 
During  the  ninth  year,  what  remains  of  the  kernel,  if  aay 
thing,  in  the  central  pair  of  nippers  in  the  upper  jaw,  is  ^rn 


LOWER  NIPPKES,  ETC.  ^^  ^  VERY  OLD  HORSE. 

away,  the  hook  on  the  cori^r  teeth  increases  in  size,  and  the 
tushes  lose  their  points.  ^^^  tenth  year  witnesses  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  kernf  ^^om  the  second  pair  of  nippers  in 
the  upper  jaw,  and  th  eleventh  from  the  corner  teeth  also. 
At  twelve  years  old  *^®  crowns  of  all  the  front  teeth  in  the 
lower  jaw  have  bee^^^  triangular,  and  the  tushes  are  much 
worn  down. 

As  the  horse  ^^ntinues  to  grow  older,  the  gums,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  grM^al  process  of  absorption,  shrink  away  from 


MlRKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  4J^ 

the  teeth,  which  from  this  circumstance  acquire  a  long,  nar- 
row shape.  The  engraving  on  the  preceding  page  is  a  faith- 
ful copy  from  nature  of  the  lower  nippers  and  left  tush  in  a 
very  old  horse.  It  will  be  perceived  that  the  right  tush  has 
fallen  out. 

After  the  horse  is  eight  years  old,  his  age  can  not  be  told 
with  any  thing  more  than  simply  an  approximation  to  ac- 
curacy, although  an  experienced  horseman  will  not  very  often 
err  during  the  next  four  years.  After  the  age  of  twelve,  we 
know  of  no  reliable  guide  further  than  this,  that  very  long, 
smooth  teeth  indicate  extreme  old  age.  A  few  horses  ex- 
hibit only  slight  changes  in  the  appearance  of  their  teeth 
after  attaining  their  ninth  year.  We  have  met  with  several 
that,  at  the  ages  of  twelve  or  fifteen,  had  the  marks  of  only 
eight  or  nine,  and  quite  a  number  whose  corner  teeth  never 
had  any  hooks. 

The  appearance  of  the  teeth  will  be  considerably  modified 
by  the  kind  of  food  which  the  horse  eats,  the  soil  and  climate 
of  the  country  in  which  he  lives,  and  the  like  circumstances. 
Horses  that  run  a  great  deal  upon  pasture,  in  sandy  countries, 
have  their  teeth  worn  smooth  unusually  early.  The  sand, 
lodging  upon  the  grass,  is  being  continually  ground  between 
the  animal's  teeth,  and  by  this  means  the  distinctive  marks 
of  age,  relied  upon  by  horse  dealers  and  jockeys,  are  often 
brought  on  prematurely,  so  far  as  the  teeth  are  concerned. 
Judged  solely  by  this  indication,  many  a  horse  of  five  or  six 
would  pass  for  ten. 

Along  the  Mississippi  River,  and  many  of  its  tributaries, 
hundreds  of  horses  and  colts  live  nearly  the  whole  year  upon 
the  cane  growing  in  the  river  and  creek  bottoms,  and  in  their 
case  the  nippers  generally  become  broken  ofl:*  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  no  reliable  marks  of  age  remain.  Like  those  horses 
mentioned  in  the  last  paragraph,  that  live  mainly  by  gracing 
on  sandy  soils,  they  seldom  have  any  hooks  upon  the  corner 
teeth. 

In  some  breeds  the  marks  of  the  teeth  vary  materially  from 
those  which  are  found  in  most  horses.     The  pony,  for  ex- 


476  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

ample,  seldom  has  any  hooks  on  the  coiner  teeth,  nor  do  his 
incisors  wear  off  and  change  with  the  usual  rapidity.  In 
his  case,  too,  the  shrinking  away  of  the  gums,  by  age,  is  so 
much  less  as  oftentimes  to  be  hardly  perceptible.  As  his 
life  is  much  beyond  the  average  of  horse-flesh,  so  his  teeth 
last  longer  in  proportion.  To  some  extent,  these  remarks 
will  apply  also  to  horses  of  different  mold  and  frame.  Tall, 
bony  animals  generally  have  much  older-looking  teeth  than 
those  of  small  size  and  compact  build.  So  have  those  horses 
that  are  kept  constantly  in  stable,  than  their  fellows  which 
run  most  of  the  time  on  pasture. 

Artificial  marks  are  sometimes  made  in  the  lower  nippers, 
by  a  rascally  class  of  jockeys,  in  order  to  deceive  the  pur- 
chaser in  regard  to  the  animal's  age.  This  swindling  opera- 
tion is  of  English  origin,  and  is  thus  described  by  Youatt : 

"  It  is  called  bishoping,  from  the  name  of  the  scoundrel  who 
invented  it.  The  horse  of  eight  or  nme  years  old  i%  thrown, 
and  with  an  engraver's  tool  a  hole  is  dug  in  the  now  almost 
plain  surface  of  the  corner  teeth,  and  in  shape  and  depth  re- 
sembling the  mark  in  a  seven-years-old  horse.  The  hole  is 
then  burned  with  a  heated  iron,  and  a  permanent  black  stain 
is  left.  The  next  pair  of  nippers  are  sometimes  lightly 
touched.  An  ignorant  man- would  be  very  easily  imposed 
on  by  this  trick;  but  the  irregular  appearance  of  the  cavity — . 
the  diffusion  of  the  black  stain  around  the  tushes,  the 
sharpened  edges  and  concave  inner  surface  of  which  can 
never  be  given  again — the  marks  on  the  upper  nippers,  to- 
gether with  the  general  conformation  of  the  horse,  can  never 
deceive  the  careful  examiner." 

In  relation  to  the  means  of  determining  the  age  of  a  horse, 
after  passing  into  his  ninth  year,  the  same  author  has  the 
following  remarks : 

"The  tushes  are  exposed  to  but  little  wear  and  tear.  The 
friction  against  them  must  be  slight,  proceeding  only  from 
the  passage  of  the  food  over  them,  and  from  the  motion  of 
the  tongue,  or  from  the  bit ;  and  their  alteration  of  form,  al- 
though generally  as  we  have  described  it,  is  frequently  un- 


MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  477 

certain.  The  tush  will  sometimes  be  blunt  at  eight;  at  other 
times  it  will  remain  pointed  at  eighteen.  The  upper  tush, 
although  the  latest  in  appearing,. is  soonest  worn  away. 

"Are  there  any  circumstances  to  guide  our  judgment  after 
this?  There  are  those  which  will  prepare  us  to  guess  at  the 
age  of  the  horse,  or  to  approach  within  a  few  years  of  it,  until 
he  becomes  very  old ;  but  there  are  none  which  will  enable 
us  accurately  to  determine  the  question,  and  the  indica- 
tions of  age  must  now  be  taken  from  the  shape  of  the  upper 
surface  of  the  nippers.  At  eight,  they  are  all  oval,  the 
length  of  the  oval  running  across  from  tooth  to  tooth ;  but 
as  the  horse  gets  older,  the  teeth  diminish  in  size,  and  this 
commencing  in  their  width,  and  not  in  their  thickness.  They 
become  a  little  apart  from  each  other,  and  their  surfaces  are 
rounded.  At  nine,  the  center  nippers  are  evidently  so;  at 
ten,  the  others  begin  to  have  the  oval  shortened.  At  eleven, 
the  second  pair  of  nippers  are  quite  rounded;  and  at  thir- 
teen, the  oorner  ones  .have  that  appearance.  At  fourteen, 
the  faces  of  the  central  nippers  become  somewhat  triangular. 
At  seventeen,  they  are  all  so.  At  nineteen,  the  angles  begin 
to  wear  oft*,  and  the  central  teeth  are  again  oval,  but  in  a  re- 
versed direction,  viz.,  from  outward,  inw^ard ;  and  at  twenty- 
one  they  all  wear  this  form.  This  is  the  opinion  of  some 
Continental  veterinary  surgeons,  and  Mr.  Percivall  first  pre- 
sented them  to  us  in  an  English  dress. 

"  It  would  be  folly  to  expect  perfect  accuracy  at  this  ad- 
vanced age  of  the  horse,  when  we  are  bound  to  confess  that 
the  rules  which  we  hi^e  laid  down  for  determining  this  mat- 
ter at  an  earlier  period,  although  they  are  recognized  by 
horsemen  generally,  and  referred  to  in  courts  of  justice,  will 
not  guide  us  in  any  case.  Stabled  horses  have  the  mark 
sooner  worn  out  than  those  that  are  at  grass ;  and  the  crib- 
biter  mav  deceive  the  best  judge  by  one  or  two  years.  The 
age  of  the  horse,  likewise,  being  formerly  calculated  from 
the  first  of  May,  it  was  exceedingly  difficult,  or  almost  im- 
possible, to  determine  whether  the  animal  was  a  late  foal  of 
one  year,  or  an  early  one  of  the  next.    At  nine  or  ten,  the 


478  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

bars  of  the  mouth  becomes  less  prominent,  and  their  regular 
,diminution  will  designate  increasing  age.  At  eleven  or 
twelve,  the  loWer  nippers  change  their  original  upright  di- 
rection, and  project  forward  or  horizontally,  and  become  of 
a  yellow  color.  They  are  yellow,  because  the  teeth  must 
grow,  in  order  to  answer  their  wear  and  tear;  but  the 
enamel  which  covered  their  surface  when  they  were  first  pro- 
duced, can  not  be  repaired ;  and  that  which  wears  this  yellow 
color  in  old  age  is  the  part  which  in  youth  was  in  the 
socket,  and,  therefore,  destitute  of  enamel." 

•THE   LIPS. 

The  lips  do  not  afford  a  precise  index  of  any  particular 
age ;  but  as  the  horse  advances  beyond  eight  or  nine  years, 
the  upper  lip  begins  to  contract  or  shorten,  while  the  under 
one  commences  to  lengthen  and  drop  down.  The  latter 
often  pods  out  much  in  the  form  of  half  a  cocoanut-shell, 
and  increasingly  so  each  year.  At  fifteen,  the  lips  have  gen- 
erally become  much  wrinkled  and  shriveled,  and  as  the  horse 
advances  in  age  this  indication  becomes  more  and  more 
marked. 

THE   HAIR. 

There  are  several  appearances  of  the  hair  that  betoken 
age.  Perhaps  the  most  conspicuous  of  them  consists  in  the 
hair  over  the  eyes,  and  upon  the  forehead,  turning  gray. 
Thip  color  generally  begins  to  show  when  the  horse  is  be- 
tween ten  and  twelve  years  old,  and,  continuing  to  grow 
lighter,  as  well  as  to  encroach  gradually  upon  the  adjacent 
surfaces,  at  fifteen  it  has  become  a  decided  mark  of  age. 
After  the  animal  has  passed  his  twelfth  year,  and  between 
that  and  the  sixteenth,  a  gray  horse  becomes  speckled  with 
innumerable  little  black  spots,  giving  rise  to  the  peculiar  ap- 
pearance commonly  designated  as  flea-bitten.  This  singu- 
larity is  very  seldom  seen  in  a  horse  under  twelve  years  of 
age,  frequently  not  until  after  he  is  fifteen.  These  dark 
shades  increase  as  long  as  he  lives. 


:ii 


MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  479 

THE   CHIN. 

When  the  horse  is  about  ten  years  old,  the  chin  or  lower 
jaw-bone  begins  to  be  pointed,  its  lower  edge  becoming  quite 
sharp  and  angular.  Like  the  other  signs  of  old  age,  this 
change  of  form  increases  from  year  to  year.  At  the  same 
time,  also,  the  skin  over  the  jaw-bone  becomes  more  loose ; 
the  flesh  shrinks  away,  until,  instead  of  the  fullness  and 
roundness  which  was  found  at  the  age  of  five  and  six,  there 
now  seems  a  hollow  or  depression,  and  the  outer  edges  or 
lower  angles  of  the  jaw-bone  appears  to  bend  out  more 
and  more. 

THE   EYES. 

The  eyes  give  indications  of  old  age,  in  their  loss  of  brill- 
iancy, the  flattening  of  the  ball,  from  the  partial  absorption 
of  some  of  the  humors,  and  in  the  deepening  of  the  hollow 
over  them. 

Wrinkles  commence  coming  on  the  under  lid  of  the  eye 
at  a  very  early  age.  By  many  these  are  considered  a  more 
correct  criterion  of  age  than  even  the  teeth,  and  nearly  as 
infallible  as  the  wrinkles  upon  the  horn  of  a  cow.  It  is  as- 
serted by  them  that  these  wrinkles  make  their  first  appear- 
ance at  the  age  of  three  years,  and- that  all  one  needs  to  do, 
to  ascertain  how  many  years  old  any  horse  is,  is  to  count 
these  wrinkles  and  then  add  three  to  their  aggregate  number. 
Of  the  correctness  of  this  rule  we  have  serious  doubts;  yet 
it  is  certainly  true  that  numerous  wrinkles  are  a  mark  of 
old  age. 

THE  ABUSES  OF  THE  HORSE. 

A  great  many  persons  use  the  horse  as  if  they  really  be- 
lieved him  to  be  made  of  iron.  It  is  perfectly  astonishing 
what  a  Jack  of  mercy,  and  how  much  brutality,  there  is  in 
the  world — ^how  utterly  devoid  some  persons  seem  to  be  of 
the  commonest  instincts  of  humanity  in  their  treatment  of 
the  brute  creation — how  little  regard  is  paid  by  thousands 
to  those  lessons  of  the  Divine  Word  that  inculcate  the  beau- 
tiful virtue  of  mercy.     The  injury  which  the  horse  sustains 


480  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

by  maltreatment  depreciates  his  value,  in  many  cases,  fully 
one-third  in  the  present  generation,  and  is  the  cause  of  untold 
evils  in  the  next.  Here  lies  one  great  obstruction  in  the  way 
of  the  improvement  of  the  American  horse ;  while,  if  we  may 
judge  by  the  accounts  of  foreign  veterinarians,  the  case  is 
still  worse  in  Europe. 

In  many  farming  communities,  perhaps  nearly  all  of  them, 
it  is  seldom  that  either  the  mare  with  foal  or  the  young 
colt  receives  such  treatment  as  is  essential  to' perfect  health, 
or  such  as  is  conducive  to  the  best  interests  of  the  owner. 
The  aggregate  amount  of  debility,  suffering,  and  disease,  oc- 
casioned by  the  ill-usage  of  horse-flesh,  in  all  its  hideous 
forms,  is  greater  than  can  adequately  find  expression  in  words. 
Perhaps  seven -tenths  of  all  the  ailments  which  befall  the 
horse,  in  civilized  communities,  is  either  directly  or  indirectly 
the  legitimate  fruits  of  the  negligence  and  brutality  of  man. 
Many  a  scrub  of  a  colt  would  have  been  foaled  plump,  healthy, , 
and  admirably  developed,  if  the  mother  had  been  properly 
cared  for  during  the  months  preceding  his  birth.  How  many 
fine  colts  there  are,  too,  whose  future  is  ruined,  or  whose 
prospects  are,  at  least,  greatly  marred,  by  mistreatment  of 
themselves  or  the  dams,  or  of  both;  and  how  many  good 
horses  has  every  observant  farmer  seen  thrown  into  a  bad 
condition,  from  which  they  very  slowly  or  never  recovered, 
by  the  same  agencies. 

Did  the  evil  extend  no  further  than  the  animal  which  be- 
comes the  victim  of  these  abuses,  we  might  forbear  some  of 
our  words  of  reprobation ;  but  such  is  not  the  case,  and  we 
must  often  see  it  carried,  not  merely  into  the  future  of  the 
original  sufferer,  but  into  that  of  his  or  her  progeny.  If  the 
mother  is  sadly  abused  during  gestation,  the  foal  will  come 
into  the  world  feeble  and,  perhaps,  ill-grown,  and  can  hardly  be 
brought  up  by  any  subsequent  treatment  to  the  fair  standard 
of  his  race.  The  race,  instead  of  having  been  improved,  is 
thus  actually  thrown  back,  and  years  or  generations  will  be 
required,  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  to  repair 
the  mischief  done. 


MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  481 

We  invite  the  reader's  attention  to  a  number  of  the  most 
common  abuses  of  the  horse,  and  shall  freely  express  our 
views  concerning  them,  together  with  our  reasons  for  enter- 
taining them. 

ovEii-woRKma. 

It  is  strange  how  little  attention  is  paid  by  the  majority 
of  farmers  and  teamsters  to  the  equal  distribution  of  labor 
among  their  working  stock.  IN'early  as  often  as  otherwise, 
we  find  horses  unequally  paired  to  do  the  same  amount  of 
work.  For  instance,  a  small  horse  with  a  large  one,  or  one 
that  is  thin  and  feeble  with  another  that  is  in  good  condi- 
tion and  of  unimpaired  strength. 

Then,  too,  not  half  the  time  is  there  any  reasonable  ac- 
count taken  of  the  weight  of  the  load  and  the  character  of 
the  road  to  be  gone  over.  Is  the  load  made  suitable  to  the 
animal's  physical  strength,  or  must  he  draw  as  much  as  else- 
where over  a  bad  or  hilly  road,  a  quagmire,  or  a  plowed 
field,  and  nearly  tug  his  life  out  in  pulling  beyond  his  strength  ? 
The  philosophy  of  light  loads  and  quick  trips  seems  to  have 
been  almost  forgotten.  Many  horses  have  been  ruined  by 
severe  strainings,  either  manifesting  great  lameness  or  other 
injury  at  once,  or  gradually  failing  afterward,  until  they  be- 
came nearly  worthless. 

So  of  overwork  in  the  plow.  Hundreds  of  times  have  we 
seen  one  small  horse  before  a  large 
^R  plow  in  heavy  land,  where,  to  do  the 
work  well,  was  enough  for  two  horses 
to  accomplish.  Such  exhibitions  are 
very  common  at  the  South,  as  nearly 
all  the  land  in  that  section  is  broken 
up  with  one  horse. 
Young  horses  are  often  4)ut  to  work  too  early,  before  the 
bones  are  properly  hardened  and  the  joints  sufficiently  strong. 
In  this  immature  condition,  the  young  animal  is  not  able  to 
bear  constant  and  severe  exertion,  and  if  it  is  exacted  of 
him,  the  owner  must  expect  that  the  least  serious  injury 
which  the  horse  can  sustain  will  be  limbs  and  joints  enlarged 
31 


482  AMEKICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

and  stiff  throughout  his  whole  life.  Moderate  exercise  should 
be  begun  quite  early,  but  full  service  of  no  kind  should  be 
required  until  the  fourth  year. 

But  the  greatest  abuse  in  this  way  is  the  overworking  of 
mares  with  foal,  as  mentioned  in  the  preceding  section.  In- 
juring two  lives  at  once,  it  is  a  shameful  outrage. 

Horses  that  have  been  idle  for  some  time,  either  in  the 
stable  or  pasture,  should  not  be  returned  to  hard  labor  all 
at  once,  but  with  judicious  caution.  Upon  this  point,  how- 
ever, we  have  dwelt  so  explicitly  in  the  section  on  Exercise, 
in  Chapter  XV II,  that  we  need  do  nothing  more  here  than 
refer  the  reader  to  those  pages. 

WHIPPING  AND   BEATING. 

One  would  think  that  the  horse  had  hardships  enough,  in 
his  daily  drudgery,  without  being  made  the  innocent  victim 
of  the  crabbedness  and  ill-nature  of  those  who  happen  to  be 
in  charge  of  him.  ^NTevertheless,  it  is  amazing  how  much 
thoughtless,  and  often  purposed,  wickedness  there  is  exhibited 
in  his  maltreatment.  Some  men  have  a  practice,  whenever 
their  affairs  do  not  go  just  to  sUit  them,  of  getting  up  a  row 
with  their  teams,  and  venting  their  spleen  upon  their  poor, 
unresisting  brutes.  Many  appear  to  find  one  of  their  dearest 
delights  in  the  torture  of  dumb  animals,  and  can  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  horse  without  expending  upon  him  some 
of  the  malice  and  cruelty  of  which  their  ugly  natures  are  full, 
in  the  form  of  kicks,  blows,  and  other  brutalities. 

Even  many  a  man  of  better  disposition  knows  no  other 
possible  means  of  reducing  a  fractious  horse  to  submis- 
sion, or  of  quieting  a  restive  one,  than  the  unstinted  ap- 
plication of  the  whip;  and  when  such  monsters  as  those 
referred  to  above  imagine  they  have  found  some  pretext  for 
their  outrages,  there  is  hardly  any  telling  to  what  length 
they  may  carry  their  abuses.  We  have  seen  such  lashings 
and  beatings  inflicted  upon  the  horse  as  would  make  the 
blood  run  chill  in  the  veins  of  any  person  not  utterly  lost  to 
the  feelings  of  humanity. 


MARKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  483 

About  the  time  we  began  writing  this  volume,  we  saw  a 
case  of  this  character.  A  young  mare  had  been  hitched  to 
the  plow,  a  labor  to  which  she  had  never  been  accustomed, 
by  the  side  of  a  very  slow  old  horse,  while  she  was  of  un- 
usually rapid  motion.  She  would  start  quite  freely  and 
quickly,  pull  the  large  two-horse  plow  through  the  unbroken 
soil,  until  her  strength  gave  out,  and  then,  forced  to  stop 
from  mere  exhaustion,  would  refuse,  for  some  time,  to  go  for- 
ward. At  this  one  of  the  men  would  take  her  out  of  the 
plow,  and,  with  a  great  club  six  or  seven  feet  in  length, 
would  beat  the  poor  creature  with  all  his  might.  Not  content 
with  giving  her  at  least  a  hundred  blows  in  this  way,  he 
kicked  her  fifty  times  or  more  with  his  heavy  boots.  The 
mare  was  in  that  peculiar  condition  called  "  in  season,"  and 
was  probably  more  than  ordinarily  fractious,  as  all  mares  are 
apt  to  be  at  such  times;  but  these  brutal  wretches  did  not 
know  her  state,  neither  did  they  care.  She  was  doing  the 
best  she  could,  the  trouble  being  simply  that  she  was  in  the 
wrong  place  and  at  the  wrong  time ;  for  it  would  have  been 
wise  to  exempt  her  from  labor  at  that  time,  or,  at  least,  to  have 
put  her  beside  some  horse  having  the  same  life  and  activity 
as  herself.  That  dreadful  beating  nearly  ruined  her  for  the 
whole  season,  if  not  forever.  For  some  months  now  she  has 
been  on  a  visible  decline. 

Such  scenes  as  that  here  described  are  by.  no  means  un- 
common ;  they  happen  every  year  by  thousands.  From  abuses 
like  these  few  horses  ever  entirely  recover.  We  remember 
the  case  of  a  fine  young  sorrel  mare  in  Tennessee,  that  was 
unmercifully  whipped  because  she  failed  to  pull  a  very  heavy 
load  up  a  very  steep  hill.  The  great  welts  made  by  the  whip 
stood  up  all  over  her  body  as  large  as  a  man's  finger.  She 
was  made  very  sick,  and  gradually  declined,  until  she  became 
almost  worthless.  Just  before  this  time  she  had  been  sold 
for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars ;  but  six  months  afterward 
she  would  not  bring  fifty. 

«  Many  a  horse  has  been  killed  by  a  sudden  blow  upon  some 
vital  part.     In  our  memory  there   now  rises  an  occurrence 


,i# 


484 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


we  witnessed  some  years  ago — a  fine,  large  horse  struck  vio- 
lently upon  the  neck,  just  back  of  the  ear,  and  falling  in- 
stantly dead.  His  offense  was  refusing  to  work  in  a  cart. 
The  spine  was  undoubtedly  broken — a  sad  result  which  maybe 
easily  brought  about  by  a  blow  upon  the  first  joint  of  the  neck. 

In  chastising  a  mare  with  foal,  hundreds  of  men  have  so 
little  sense  or  consideration  as  to  kick  her  about  the  body. 
If  the  foal  is  not  killed  outright  by  this  barbarous  proceed- 
ing, it  is  likely  to  receive  more  or  les3  injury,  which  will  be 
permanent. 

It  would  probably  surprise  every  one,  if  it  could  be  known 
how  many  horses  are  ruined  every  year  in  the  United  States 
by  overworking  and  cruel  punishments.  The  annual  loss  to 
the  country  in  this  way  would  be  counted  by  many  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dollars. 


CUTTINa  AND   SLITTING  THE   EARS. 

This  senseless  and  cruel  practice  is  happily  very  much  on 
the  wane.  The  time  once  was 
when  nearly  every  small  horse  or 
pony  could  be  seen  with  his  ears 
cropped,  or  showing  great  slits  in 
them.  Now,  however,  one  sees 
such  an  animal  but  seldom. 

The  avowed  object  of  this  heart- 
less custom  was  nothing  less  ab- 
surd than  the  improvement  of  the  horse's  looks.  What  a 
perverter  of  tastes  capricious  fashion  can  become!  Some 
farmers  have  a  most  outlandish  fancy  for  cropping  the  ears 
of  all  the  domestic  animals  on  their  estates.  The  ears  of  the 
dog  must  come  off  or  be  cropped  close,  and  so  must  those  of 
poor  old  brindle,  or  the  patient  yoke  of  working  oxen ;  while 
the  pigs  are  predestined  to  the  same  mutilation  from  the  mo- 
ment of  birth,  so  that  they  have  nothing  to  keep  the  dirt 
and  mud  from  their  heads  when  they  seek  to  indulge  in  the 
swinish  luxury  of  a  wallow  in  the  puddle,  or  of  sunning  them- 
selves on  a  dirty  bank. 


MAEKS  OF  AGE,  ANB  ABUSES 


485 


All  this  is  ridiculous, 
no  less  than  inhuman. 
Mature  has  given  these 
organs  to  the  lower  ani- 
mals to  protect  the  in- 
ternal parts  of  the  ear, 
and  to  keep  out  dust 
and  flies;  but,  what,  is 
even  of  more  conse- 
quence than  this,  the 
external  ear  performs  a 
most  important  function 

in  catching  the  undulations  of  sound,  which  produce  the  sense 
of  hearing.  To  deprive  any  of  these  dumb  servants  of  the 
ears,  or  to  mutilate  those  members,  is  to  impair  the  hearing ; 
to  leave  the  tympanum — that  is,  the  sensitive  membrane  within 
the  ear  which  is  commonly  called  its  drum — more  or  less  ex- 
posed to  cold,  wet,  dust,  flies,  etc.,  and  to  occasion  suffering 
that  is  wholly  unnecessary. 

In  the  case  of  the  horse,  the  practice  is  especially  repug- 
nant to  all  notions  of  correct  taste,  to  say  nothing  of  its 
cruelt}^     The  ears  consti-  .^ 

tute  one  of  his  chief  orna- 
ments. Their  various  po- 
sitions and  changing  mo- 
tions indicate  his  temper 
and  feelings  most  perfect- 
ly. When  pitched  forward, 
they  betray  surprise  or 
alarm ;  when  drawn  partly 
back,  dislike  or  timidity ; 
when  thrown  entirely  back,  so  that  they  lie  on  the  neck, 
danger  and  intention  to  do  mischief;  when  raised  and  moving 
loosely  back  and  forth,  they  indicate  gentleness  and  docility; 
and  when  they  droop  away  from  the  head,  the  horse  is  sleepy 
or  very  ill.  What  true  lover  of  the  horse  has  failed  to  rec- 
ognize and  admire  this  beautiful  play  of  the  ears?     How 


ii 


486  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

foolish  and  wanton,  therefore,  to  injure  or  destroy  them, 
either  in  the  manner  here  reprobated  or  as  mentioned  in  the 
section  on  Deafness,  etc.,  in  Chapter  YIII. 

NICKING   AND   DOCKING. 

Fashion  is,  indeed,  a  tyrant  with  no  mercy,  no  heart ;  and 
this  is  equally  true  whether  the  victim  of  its  whims  hap- 
pens to  be  a  human  being  or  one  of  the  dumb  brutes.  A 
certain  class  of  exquisites  still  linger  in  our  country  that 
have  such  an  excessive  refinement  of  tastes,  that  every  thing 
they  use  must  differ,  in  some  way  or  other,  from  the  same 
thing  in  the  possession  of  the  vulgar  ^rd  of  humanity.  To 
their  notions,  the  Creator  has  made  nothing  just  right — 
nothing  to  suit  their  choice,  at  any  rate.  Their  morbid 
fancy  can  suggest  improvements  upon  the  most  perfect  speci- 
mens of  I^ature's  handiwork ;  and  thus  they  are  continually 
torturing  the  poor  animals  which  are  so  unfortunate  as  to 
fall  into  their  hands. 

The  Almighty  has  not  seen  fit  to  provide  a  race  of  pigs 
and  dogs  without  ears,  nor  of  horses  with  short  tails,  for  the 

especial  gratification  of 
this  superior  order  of  be- 
ings. Nothing  daunted, 
however,  they  set  to  work 
to  supply  the  deficiency, 
and  here  the  detestable 
practice  of  nicking  and 
docking  have  their  origin, 
the  poor  horse  becoming 
the  subject  of  shocking  cruelties.  Not  only  is  he  deprived 
of  part  of  his  tail — a  member  of  the  highest  usefulness  and 
great  beauty — ^but  the  remainder  is  so  cut,  at  different  places, 
that  the  muscles  by  which  it  is  erected  and  depressed  are 
permanently  destroyed.  He  must,  also,  stand  with  his  tail 
drawn  upward  by  a  cord  tied  to  the  hair,  and  then  passed 
over  a  pulley  at  the  opposite  end,  where  a  weight  is  attached, 
which  stretches  the  sore  and  inflamed  member  as  much  as 


1*. 


MAKKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  4^ 

the  bones  will  bear  without  breaking,  or,  perhaps,  not  less 
than  even  that.  In  this  condition  of  extreme  suffering  he 
must  remain  for  two  or  three  weeks,  without  any  change. 

Thanks  to  a  better  state  of  public  sentiment,  these  out- 
rages have  greatly  fallen  into  disuse.  Not  only  have  sensible 
men  and  men  of  feeling  been  disgusted  with  these  barbari- 
ties, but  they  are  now  rarely  demanded  by  even  our  city  ex- 
quisites. Neither  nicking  nor  docking  is  now 
practiced  upon  country  horses,  and  we  hope  the 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  both  will  be  remem- 
bered only  as  the  dim  recollection  of  a  past  bar- 
barism. The  ears,  fq|jftpck,  mane,  tail,  and  hair  are  all 
among  the  natural  adornments  of  the  horse,  and  none  of 
them  can  the  capritee  of  man  successfully  attempt  to  improve 
upon. 

RACING. 

Many  of  our  readers  will  probably  be  surprised  to  see  this 
subject  introduced  under  the  head  of  abuses  of  the  horse,  when 
not  a  few  other  authors  have  placed  it  almost  at  the  head  of 
their  list  of  essentials  in  a  complete  veterinary  treatise.  Our 
classification,  howeve^^is  not  the  result  of  any  straining  after 
originality,  or  of  any  mere  freak  of  the  fancy,  but  originates 
in  the  deliberate  conviction  that  racing  is  one  of  the  greatest, 
and  most  injurious  of  the  abuses  that  falls  to  the  lot  of  horse- 
flesh in  this  our  day  and  generation. 

The  great  plea  for  the  sports  of  the  turf  is  nothing  less 
than  a  specious  fallacy.  It  is  that  they  tend  to  improve  the 
breed  of  horses  throughout  the  land  by  making  known  su- 
perior merit,  and  stimulating  breeders  and  horsemen  to 
greater  efforts  in  their  various  departments.  With  this  state- 
ment, it  is  designed  to  couple  the  inference — rather  implied 
than  expressed,  however — that  the  same  ends  can  not  be 
attained  by  any  other  means,  or,  at  least,  not  to  an  equal 
extent ;  and  by  such  sophistry  is  it  sought  to  cover  up  and 
palliate  those  enormous  evils — at  whose  head  stands  the  most 
corrupting  vice  of  gambling — which  are  the  invariable  con- 
comitants of  racing. 

^% 

r 


488  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

The  argument  is  but  an  assumption,  and  can  not  be  sus- 
tained* by  any  demonstrable  facts.  We  hold  that  racing  is 
not  the  best  means  of  improving  our  stock  of  horses,  nor  the 
most  extensive,  and  that,  as  to  the  general  character  of  its 
operations,  they  deserve  the  condemnation  of  every  thought- 
ful and  pure-minded  individual. 

But  sportsmen,  says  the  advocate  of  racing,  have  imported 
some  splendid  stock.  Granted,  if  you  choose  to  have  it  so ; 
but  where  one  superior  animal  has  been  brought  into  this 
country  by  that  class,  ten  are  imported  by  men  who  have  no 
identification  with  the  turf,  and  most  of  them  men  who 
ignore  and  despise  it  altogether.  J|i  fact,  this  latter  class 
have  either  imported  or  bred  two-thirds  of  the  horses  kept 
expressly  for  racing  purposes.  Sportsmen  have  a  wonderfully 
keen  scent  for  discovering  any  animal  of  unusual  fleetness; 
and  wherever  they  find  one,  no  matter  where  or  how  origi- 
nating, they  are  sure  to  buy  him  up  and  train  him  for  the 
race-track;  and  the  "Turf  Register  ".has  many  famous  names 
upon  its  pages,  as  bred  by  this  or  that  breeder,  while  that 
gentlemen  has  not  felt  at  all  complimented  by  having  his 
name  paraded  before  the  public  in  anj'-  such  connection. 

Like  all  gamblers,  sportsmen  generally  have  plenty  of 
money  and  leisure,  and  ar^  extremely  fond  of  pleasure.  They 
are  great  excursionists,  and  travel  extensively.  Many  of  them 
are  employed  by  wealthy  men,  of  the  same  fraternity,  to  visit 
the  farms  of  the  best  breeders  in  the  country  and  inspect 
their  stock  of  horses ;  and  if  any  young  animal  is  lighted 
upon  that  gives  extraordinary  promise  of  success  upon  the 
turf,  he  is  purchased  at  once,  and  his  training  begun. 

We  have  met  too  many  of  this  class  of  gentry,  during  the 
last  twenty  years,  not  to  be  fully  apprized  of  their  character 
and  practices.  It  is  but  a  miserable  subterfuge,  put  forth  to 
cover  the  iniquities  of  the  race-track,  that  the  chief  object 
of  the  sport  is  to  improve  the  breed  of  horses  in  the  country, 
l^ot  one  in  a  hundred  of  these  men  ever  had  such  an  emotion 
or  purpose  in  their  lives;  neither  are  they  capable  of  so 
doing.    "What  care  the}^  for  the  interests  of  the  community, 


*  '• 


MAEKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  489 

or  for  elevating  the  average  standard  of  our  stock,  if  they 
can  get  a  good  horse  to  run  and  bet  upon?  The  race  be- 
comes, in  their  hands,  only  an  extraordinarily  exciting  species 
of  gambling,  where  the  horse  is  used  instead  of  the  game- 
cock, the  cards,  the  roulette-ball,  or  the  dice.  Money  is  the 
object,  betting  is  the  mania,  and  gambling  the  great  attrac- 
tion. This  is  the  center,  the  soul,  the  all-in-all  of  the  affair; 
and  if  this  stimulus  were  removed  from  it,  the  dear  people 
and  their  fine  breeds  of  horses  might  go  to — destruction,  so 
far  as  these  philanthropic  gentlemen  are  concerned. 

The  very  character  of  the  men  engaged  in  the  pursuits  of 
racing — their  lives  and  their  habits — condemn  any  such  as- 
sumption on  behalf  of  the  turf  Who  is  it  that  attends  such 
places?  Who  is  it  that  keeps  up  the  races?  The  way  in 
which  the  thing  is  managed,  as  we  have  seen  it  scores  of 
times,  is  about  as  follows :  Some  man,  of  horse-racing  re- 
spectability and  notoriety,  sends  a  challenge  to  some  other 
equally  noted  man  of  the  same  kind  of  respectability,  and 
who  also  keeps  a  race-horse,  and  backs  his  challenge  by  the 
exceedingly  disinterested  offer  of  contributing  his  share  to- 
ward a  purse  of  a  few  hundreds  or  thousands  of  dollars,  to 
be  given  the  owner  of  the  winner.  These  fine  gentlemen, 
be  it  known,  are  very  enterprising,  genteel,  and  benevolent — 
gamblers  by  profession,  now  devoting  themselves  to  the  laud- 
able object  of  improving  the  breeds  of  horses  in  the  country. 
What  a  praiseworthy  exhibition  of  public  spirit  and  gener- 
osity !  But  the  winner  is  to  have  the  purse  of  money,  and 
both  may,  perhaps,  make  a  snug  sum  by  betting.  Ah !  here 
we  have  the  incitement — ^the  full  measure — of  their  benevo- 
lence. The  purse  lays  off  the  race-course  and  organizes  all 
its  appliances — nothing  else  in  the  world. 

These  gentlemen,  about  to  engage  in  their  worthy  mission 
of  giving  an  impetus  to  the  improvement  of  the  stock  of 
horse-fiesh,  call  together  an  immense  number  of  their  con- 
freres to  enjoy  with  them  the  edifying  opportunities  of  the 
race.  The  sport  is,  accordingly,  witnessed  by  an  immense 
crowd  of  excited  spectators.     Some  burly  old  judge,  who  has, 


490  AMERICAN  FARMEE'S  HORSE  BOOK 

for  an  hour  or  two,  torn  himself  away  from  his  whist  and 
champagne,  presides  on  this  important  occasion.  It  is  his 
yearly  turn-out  from  his  pipe  and  his  gout.  It  is  vacation- 
time,  also,  in  the  gambling  dens  of  the  adjoining  cities,  and 
every  blackguard  that  is  accustomed  to  frequent  them  is  sure 
to  be  found  at  the  races.  There  betting  goes  on  briskly,  of 
course,  from  the  clean-shaven  gambler  that  can  bluster  out 
his  offer  of  hundreds  to  tens  downward  in  the  scale  of  human 
respectability,  to  the  boys  and  negroes,  whose  sole  resources 
consist  in  coats,  hats,  dogs,  and  jack-knives. 

But  the  professional  gamblers  comprise  but  a  small  propor- 
tion of  the  vast  concourse  there  assembled.  Every  sink  of 
iniquity  of  the  region  round  about  has  a  full  delegation  at 
the  races.  Every  house  of  ill-fame,  every  rum-hole,  every 
hot-bed  of  vice  and  crime  is  here  represented.  Gamblers, 
prostitutes,  pimps,  pickpockets,  confidence-men,  and  swind- 
lers of  all  sorts,  thieves,  robbers,  burglars,  and  the  like,  are 
all  here.  And  for  what?  Many  of  them  to  ply  their  dis- 
honest callings,  or  to  advertise  their  degrading  vocations; 
while  the  least  corrupt  spectator  has  no  other  motive  than 
to  see  two  or  more  dumb  animals  forced  at  the  top  of  their 
speed — no  matter  at  what  cost  of  suffering  and  injury — for 
one,  two,  or  three  miles,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  to  learn 
how  one  grand  scoundrel  fleeces  another  grand  scoundrel  out 
of  the  money  that  the  latter,  in  turn,  had  swindled  some 
other  grand  scoundrel  out  of  not  quite  so  sharp  as  he. 

The  excitement  goes  on,  and  many  a  successful  better  wins 
only  to  swell  the  gains  of  the  pickpocket.  But  another  ex- 
citement follows,  or,  perhaps,  attends.  A  festive  board  is 
spread,  at  which  King  Alcohol  presides,  and  his  votaries  are 
many.  Here  the  jolly  crowd  jest,  and  laugh,  and  tipple,  the 
bottles  pop,  the  wine  flows,  and  the  foaming  cups  run  over. 
Here  they  forget  "  all  their  troubles,  while  money  flies,  and 
whiskey  bubbles,"  until  at  last  some  chivalric  reveller  begins 
a  row,  ending,  perchance,  in  murder,  and  so  the  curtain  drops. 
The  great  convocation,  assembled  from  the  purlieus  and  the 
gaudier  haunts  of  vice  in  the  neighboring  cities  in  the  inter- 


MAEKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  491 

ests  of  equine  improvement  closes  its  session,  and  pandemo- 
nium breaks  up,  to  herald,  through  the  newspapers,  far  and 
wide,  the  wonderful  achievements  of  the  race-course.  Was 
it  not  of  such  a  class,  and  of  such  ungodly  practices,  that  the 
prophet  denounced  in  this  fearful  language :  "  The  harp  and 
the  viol  and  the  tabret  are  in  their  feasts,  but  they  regard  not 
the  work  of  the  Lord,  neither  the  operations  of  his  hands. 
Therefore,  hell  hath  enlarged  herself  and  opened  her  mouth 
without  measure ;  and  their  glory,  and  their  multitude,  and 
their  pomp,  and  he  that  rejoiceth  therein,  shall  descend 
into  it." 

Perhaps  this  picture  is  characterized  by  a  more  vivid  col- 
oring than  is  just  in  all  cases ;  and  yet  we  must  express  our 
unqualified  condemnation  of  the  whole  system  of  horse- 
racing  as  evil,  and  only  evil,  and  that  continually.  It  is  a 
gambling  institution  from  first  to  last.  We  believe  that  the 
great  plea  put  forth  in  its  defense  is  essentially  false,  and 
that  if  more  efficient  measures  were  not  employed  to  accom- 
plish the  same  ends,  there  would  be  but  very  few  fine  horses 
in  the  country  to-day. 

Kace-horses  are  not  the  stock  the  farmer  needs.  He  has 
no  interest  in  the  turf  whatever.  There  are  better  bloods 
in  the  country  than  those  commonly  represented  on  the 
race-track.  How  is  it  with  the  other  domestic  animals? 
They  have  improved  vastly  more  than  the  horse,  and  that 
without  any  such  extraordinary  incitements  as  the  turf 
is  claimed  to  afford  the  horse-breeder.  Intelligent,  enter- 
prising gentlemen  have  been  found,  in  considerable  numbers, 
to  import  fine  breeds  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  hogs,  and  to-day 
these  animals  unquestionably  stand  in  advance  of  the  Amer- 
ican horse  in  all  the  essentials  of  fine  forms  and  desirable 
qualities.  Indeed,  it  may  well  be  questioned  whether  our 
horses  are  not  slowly  but  surely  deteriorating  from  year  to 
year ;  and,  while  it  would  be  too  much  to  charge  the  whole 
mischief  upon  the  abuses  of  the  race-course,  there  can  be  no 
shifting  of  much  of  the  responsibility  from  those  causes. 

'No  horse,  put  to  the  top  of  his  speed  for  two  or  three  miles, 


492  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

can  ever  be  relied  upon  as  a  good  foal-getter  afterward.  The 
great  strain  in  racing  is  upon  the  loins — the  sacral  vertebrcB — 
which  is  the  weakest  part  of  the  back,  covering  the  genital 
organs.  These  are  impaired  to  some  extent,  perhaps,  at 
every  race  the  horse  is  forced  to  run,  and  his  colts  show 
plainly  the  effects  of  the  seminal  disturbances  of  the  sire. 
As  a  rule,  the  most  objectionable  of  all  the  horses  within 
our  knowledge  as  a  breeder  is  the  champion  stallion  of  the 
race-track.  He  may  come  of  ever  so  fine  blood,  yet  his 
progeny  will  seldom  be  equal  to  himself,  and,  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten,  will  fall  considerably  below  his  standard.  The 
number  of  weak,  flabby,  loose-jointed  colts  gotten  from  such 
sires  will  astonish  any  one  who  chooses  to  investigate  the 
matter  for  himself. 

The  correction  of  these  evils  would  be  retarded,  but  need 
by  no  means  be  prevented,  by  one  difficulty,  and  that  is  the 
assumption  and  parade  of  the  turfmen  themselves.  The 
whole  subject  pertaining  to  the  relative  value,  etc.,  of  differ- 
ent breeds,  has  been  given  up  into  their  hands  to  an  extent 
that  is  most  unreasonable  and  hurtful.  Unworthy  and  in- 
competent hands  they  are,  in  truth,  not  at  all  meeting  the 
requirements  of  the  case.  Had  not  this  class  stood  in  the 
way,  other  and  better  men  would  have  come  forward,  with 
different  motives,  and  vastly  more  would  have  been  accom- 
plished in  elevating  the  average  standard  of  the  American 
horse  than  has  yet  been  done. 

Much,  however,  has  already  been  effected,  and  is  still  be- 
ing accomplished,  in  a  legitimate  and  honorable  way,  to  en- 
courage the  breeding  of  fine  horses,  by  liberal  premiums 
at  the  various  fairs — institutions  which  deserve  the  counten- 
ance of  every  intelligent  agriculturist,  and  are  almost  invari- 
ably well  attended,  as  they  should  be.  Racing  is  less  repu- 
table than  it  once  was,  and  we  are  glad  to  note  such  changes 
in  the  direction  of  public  sentiment  that  one  may  reasonably 
indulge  the  hope  that  racing,  if  not  entirely  abandoned,  will 
soon  be  left  solely  to  the  patronage  of  such  classes  as  are 
entitled  to  no  regard  at  the  hands  of  respectable  society. 


,*^ 


MAEKS  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  493 

The  practice  originally  came  to  us  from  England,  and  re- 
mains as  the  relic  of  an  early  and  corrupt  age  in  the  mother 
country.  Even  there  it  is  losing  much  of  its  former  interest 
and  prestige.  ]N"o  English  author  now  speaks  of  it  except 
as  belonging  to  sportsmen  alone ;  and,  although  all  appear 
to  be  somewhat  fastidious  not  to  offend  that  peculiar  species 
of  gentry,  they  do  bear  outspoken  testimony  to  the  degener- 
acy of  the  horse  throughout  the  United  Kingdom,  and  in- 
directly hint  at  racing  as  one  of  the  prominent  causes  of 
this  sorrowful  phenomenon.  Their  views  find  expression  in 
such  language  as  this : 

"  There  can  not  be  a  severer  satire  on  the  English  nation 
than  this,  from  the  absurd  practice  of  running  our  race-horses 
at  two  or  three  years,  and  working  others  in  various  ways 
long  before  their  limbs  are  knit,  or  their  strength  .is  devel- 
oped, and  cruelly  exacting  from  them  services  far  beyond 
their  powers,  their  age  does  not  average  a  sixth  part  of 
that  of  the  last  named  horse," — (which  was  sixty-two  years.) 

In  our  country  nearly  all  race-horses  are  run  too  young. 
!N'one  of  them  ever  possess  qualities  that  can  save  them  from 
being  injured,  for  breeding  purposes,  by  such  violent  over- 
exertion. That  the  case  is  the  same^in  England,  we  infer 
from  such  statements  as  the  following,  by  the  author  of  the 
"Animal  Kingdom,"  who  seems  to  hesitate,  however,  about 
tracing  out  the  causes  of  the  declension  of  which  he  speaks : 
"It  may  be  safely  asserted  that  more  horses  die  consumed 
in  England,  in  every  ten  years,  than  in  any  other  country 
in  the  world  in  ten  times  that  period,  except  those  that  per- 
ish in  war."  [N'ow,  the  English  horse  is  not  worse  abused 
than  his  fellows  upon  the  continent — perhaps  not  so  badly, 
indeed — in  respect  to  care  and  keeping ;  and  there  seems  to 
be  no  good  reason  why  such  a  state  of  things  should  exist 
in  Great  Britain,  unless  it  is  the  great  and  long-time  prev- 
alence of  racing  and  hunting  there.  And  that  is  the  coun- 
try to  which  we  might  naturally  turn  to  find  the  practical 
demonstration  of  the  benefits  of  horse-racing,  if  such  a  thing 
were  not  a  mere  fiction ! 


494-  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

Another  well-known  English  veterinarian  says,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  deterioration  of  the  horse  in  his  own  country : 
"  Any  one,  during  the  last  twenty  or  twenty-five  years,  must 
be  struck  with  the  sad  falling  off  there  is  every-where  to 
be  remarked  in  the  quality  of  one-half  and  three-parts-bred 
horses  exhibited  for  sale."  Yet  this  class  of  animals  em- 
brace the  first  edition  from  the  racer's  stock  that  pass  into 
the  hands  of  the  farmer.  This  is  certainly  improvement 
backwards. 

"If  horse-breeders,  possessed  of  good  judgment,  would 
pay  the  same  attention  to  breed  and  shape  that  Mr.  Bake- 
well  did  with  his  sheep,  they  would  probably  attain  their 
wishes  in  an  equal  degree."  Is  not  this  the  work  that 
racers  claim  to  be  doing  as  belonging  to  their  especial  de- 
partment ?  and  then,  in  spite  of  all  the  stimulus  of  eques- 
trian exercise,  to  be  outdone  by  a  sheep-man ! 

"  Our  running-horses,"  says  Youatt,  "  still  maintain  their 
speed,  although  their  endurance,  generally  speaking,  is  greatly 
diminished."  Can  not  the  races  keep  up  their  own  running- 
stock?  If  they  can,  what  mean  such  expressions  as  the 
above?  Is  it  not  clear  that  the  whole  system  of  racing,  so 
far  as  the  pretences  that  it  improves  stock  are  concerned,  is 
a  miserable  failure  and  a  gross  imposition  on  the  public — 
such  a  sham,  in  fact,  as  no  man  of  right  feeling  and  princi- 
ple would  willingly  be  identified  with  ? 

One  more  reference,  and  we  dismiss  the  subject.  Youatt 
lays  it  down  as  an  axiom  in  breeding  "  that  like  will  pro- 
duce like,"  adding  that  "the  progeny  will  inherit  the  general 
or  mingled  qualities  of  the  parent."  The  reader  is  already 
aware  of  our  qualified  dissent  from  so  sweeping  a  state- 
ment; but,  applying  it  as  we  fairly  may,  in  the  present  argu- 
ment, what  conclusion  are  we  forced  to  arrive  at  when  we 
find  the  same  author  making  such  positive  assertions  as 
those?  "Our  running-horses  are  considerably  diminished;" 
and,  "  Our  hunters  and  hackneys  are  not  what  they  used  to 
be ; "  and,  "  Our  draught  and  carriage  horses  are,  perhaps, 
improved  in  value."     The  racers  and  their  offspring  degen- 


MAKES  OF  AGE,  AND  ABUSES.  495 

erating — "  falling  off" — "  not  what  they  used  to  be,"  while 
horses  bred  from  other  sources — those  that  the  racer  discards 
and  leaves  entirely  to  the  farmer — are  "  improved  in  value." 

Here  we  have  an  epitome  of  the  history  of  racing  upon 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic — the  whole  thing  in  a  nutshell. 
The  race-horses  are  failing;  the  farmers'  horses  are  im- 
proving. 

We  sincerely  believe  that  the  farmers  of  our  country  are 
the  only  men  possessing  the  intelligence,  the  enterprise,  the 
moral  character,  and  the  standing  necessary  to  successfully 
conduct  the  great  work  of  reform  and  progress  in  respect 
to  the  horse.  It  behooves  them,  as  men  of  this  character,  to 
frown  down  the  system  of  racing  as  an  unqualified  abuse  of 
the  horse  and  a  potent  agency  of  iniquity  and  vice. 


496  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

GENTLING,  BREAKING,  AND  TRAINING. 

GENTLING. 

The  time  to  begin  the  work  of  gentling  is  seldom  improved 
by  stock- raisers.     They  have  so  much  else  to  do  that  they 
L  can  not  devote  the  requisite  time  and  attention  to  this  mat- 

ter; and,  in  fact,  not  a  few  of  them  neglect  this  important 
I  •  department  of  their  business  entirely,  committing  it  alto- 
gether to  other  hands.  In  many  cases,  professional  stock- 
raisers  do  not  so  much  as  superintend  the  feeding  and  salt- 
ing of  any  of  their  own  stock,  much  less  gentling  and  breaking 
their  colts.  Such  men  must  be  but  poorly  qualified  for  the 
important  vocation  which  they  do  indeed*  follow — afar  off— 
and  many  serious  evils  result  from  their  negligence. 

In  relation  to  the  subject-matter  of  this  entire   chapter, 
.        there  is  a  deplorable  ignorance  and  lack  of  interest  among 
,^^       the  masses  of  our  farmers.     It  is  quite  as  much  as  thousands 
^       of  them  care  about,  if  they  can  provide  some  sort  of  food 
for  their  colts,  and  salt  once  a  week.     JS'o  further  pains  are 
bestowed  upon  the  young  animal  until  he  is  old  enough  to 
m  be  put  to  work;  and  then, •  instead  of  being  gentled  and 

■  trained  for  the  duties  he  is  to  perform,  he  is  very  probably 

disposed  of  at  a  sacrifice  of  twenty  or  thirty  dollars,  or  even 
more,  in  consequence  of  his  being  unbroken.  The  market 
value  of  a  good  colt  is  lessened  by  from  twenty  "to  fifty  dol- 
lars, or  even  more,  by  this  circumstance ;  and,  as  a  rule,  the 
*  young  horse  trained  for  service,  for  either  the  saddle  or  har- 
ness, is  worth  fifty  per  cent,  more  upon  that  account  than  he 
was  before.  Thousands  of  our  stock-raisers  submit  to  this 
#  •  pecuniary  loss  every  year,  rather  than  undertake  the  labor 
of  breaking,  which  their  timidity  or  indolence  shrinks  from. 


V     ''^ 


GENTLING,  BREAKING,  AND  TRAINING.  497 

It  is  comparatively  a  rare  thing  in  this  country  to  meet 
^"ith  a  man  that  has  taken  pains  to  inform  himself  thor- 
oughly concerning  the  best  modes  of  gentling  the  horse  and 
training  him  for  the  different  uses.  The  common-*r-we  had 
almost  said  the  nearly  universal — practice  is  to  let  the  colt 
run  unbroken  until  he  is  considered  of  suitable  age  to  be 
put  to  work,  and  then  to  harness  him  forthwith  beside  some 
sedate  old  horse  in  a  large  wagon,  and  reduce  him  to  sub- 
mission at  once.  This  is  a  very  injudicious  process,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  often  proving  dangerous  to  the  other  horse, 
or  the  manager  of  the  team,  and  still  more  frequently  ending 
in  sad  injury  to  the  colt.  Nor  is  it  a  successful  method. 
Few  colts  can  be  said  to  be  well-broken,  or  safe,  when  brought 
into  service  in  so  rapid  and  abrupt  a  manner.  How  many 
horses  there  are  spoiled  in  breaking,  so  that  they  are  always 
unreliable  to  work,  or  else  can  not  be  worked  at  all !  Such 
will  continue  to  be  the  case  until  a  better  and  niore  judicious 
system  prevails  in  regard  to  these  matters.  One  horse  out 
of  every  Rve  will  be  spoiled  in  breaking,  either  for  the  har- 
ness or  the  saddle,  or  for  both.  The  terrible  case  of  lock- 
jaw described  in  Chapter  YII  might  be  cited  as  an  example 
of  the  evils  which  flow  from  the  unthoughtful  management 
so  common  among  our  farmers. 

The  public  mind  does  not  seem  to  be  educated  up  to  the 
level  necessary  for  a  proper  understanding  of  this  subject; 
but  probably  this  proceeds  more  from  a  lack  of  popular  in- 
formation concerning  it  than  from  any  other  circumstance. 
It  is  certainly  no  small  source  of  the  difficulty  that  there  is 
so  inconsiderable  an  amount  of  reading  matter  upon  it  ac- 
cessible to  the  mass  of  farmers.  We  have  no  American 
work  on  the  horse  treating  of  these  topics  at  all,  and  but  one 
from  abroad  that  has  attained  any  respectable  circulation  in 
our  country ;  and,  although  this  is  an  invaluable  authority, 
in  many  respects,  it  is,  upon  the  whole,  illy  adapted  to  the 
peculiar  wants  of  the  horseman  in  America.  The  conse- 
quence of  this  is,  that  here  almost  every  man  has  his  own 
way,  differing  from  that  of  all  his  neighbors,  and  no  sys- 
32 


.i^- 


498  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

tematic  mode  is  to  be  found  in  general  practice  anywhere. 
Yet,  there  is  much  less  to  be  said  concerning  the  defects 
of  the  multiform  and  diverse  modes  existing  in  the  United 
States  tBan  of  the  almost  entire  neglect  of  all  modes.  So 
many  hundreds  have  we  seen  in  our  time  who  gave  the  sub- 
ject no  attention  whatever,  and,  when  spoken  to  in  regard 
to  the  advantages  of  a  SA'stematic  course  of  training  for 
young  colts,  would  reply,  with  all  the  self-satisfaction  char- 
acteristic of  ingrained  stupidity,  "Well,  the  old  plan  is  good 
enough  for  me ;  it  is  the  way  I  used  to  see  it  done  when  I 
was  a  boy,  and  suits  me  very  well." 

So  far  as  the  general  management  of  the  horse  is  con- 
cerned, there  has  been  but  little  improvement  in  many  parts 
of  the  land  within  the  memory  of  even  that  fabulous  indi- 
vidual, "  the  oldest  inhabitant."  In  some  sections,  it  is  true, 
enterprising  men  have  taken  hold  of  the  matter  and  pushed 
forward  the  good  work,  greatly  to  their  own  advantage  and 
that,  also,  of  the  communities  among  whom  they  reside. 
But,  as  exceedingly  few,  or  perhaps  none,  of  these  gentlemen 
have  ever  enlightened  the  general  public,  to  any  great  ex- 
tent, through  the  medium  of  the  press,  the  benefits  of  their 
improved  methods  have  been  restricted  to  quite  circumscribed 
territorial  limits. 

There  (fan  be  no  doubt  that  the  loss  to  the  total  wealth 
of  the  country  resulting  from  the  inferior  training  of  our 
horses  would  reach  a  startling  aggregate,  if  it  could  only  be 
put  into  figures.  We  have  few  thoroughly-trained  horses 
for  either  the  harness  or  saddle.  The  great  fault  lies  in  neg- 
lecting to  begin  the  work  at  the  proper  time.  The  colt 
may  be  educated  as  well  as  the  child — not  to  the  same  ex- 
tent, of  course,  but  with  an  equal  degree  of  certainty.  In 
the  main,  the  rules  which  govern  in  one  case  are  applicable 
in  the  other,  also.  As  more  than  one  wise  man  has  said  that 
childhood  is  the  most  favorable  time  for  education,  and  that 
it  is  never  too  early  to  begin,  so  the  wisest  of  veterinarians 
will  agree  that  the  best  time  to  commence  training  the  horse 
is  before  he  has  outgrown  the  condition  of 


GENTLING,  BEEAKING,  AND  TRAINIifG.  499 


THE  YOUNG   COLT. 

Take  him  in  hand  at  once,  and  gentle  him.  Bo  not  let 
^ve  days  pass  after  he  is  foaled  until  you  begin  to  handle 
him.  Never  let  the  colt  know  what  fear  is,  and  yet  you 
must  control  him.  Be  certain  to  hold  him  fast  before  he 
becomes  strong  enough  to  break  away  from  you.  There 
never  should  be  a  time  when  the  colt  do.es  not  recognize  the 
mastery  of  his  keeper,  and  the  necessity  for  obedience.  Never- 
theless, every  attention  bestowed  upon  the  little  fellow  should 
be  gentle  and  kind.  No  one  should  be  permitted  to  frighten 
him  oi>  to  strike  him  with  a  whip ;  he  will  alwa^'s  remember 
if,  and  will  probably  shy  from  the  latter  as  long  as  he  lives. 
In  after  years  the  use  of  the  whip  may  sometimes  be  neces- 
sary, but  at  this  tender  age  the  colt  should  not  know  that 
such  a  thing  exists. 

The  foal  should  be  handled  every  day  until  he  is  perfectly 
gentle,  and  all  timidity  and  shyness  have  vanished.  By  a 
little  habitual  patting  and  caressing,  he  will  become  very 
strongly  attached  to  his  master.  The  colt  that  is  allowed  to 
run  until  he  is  six  months  old,  or  more,  and  has  no  other 
knowledge  of  his  master  except  as  a  terrible  monster  to  be 
feared,  or  is  in  the  habit  of  shying  away  from  him,  will  sel- 
dom get  over  this  feeling  entirely.  It  is  at  this  early  age 
that  most  of  the  vices  of  the  mature  horses  are  begotten. 

An  important  truth,  which  stock-raisers  and  owners  of 
young  colts  seem  nearly  always  to  overlook,  is  that  the  colt 
left  to  himself,  without  proper  training,  will  just  as  certainly 
run  into  bad  habits,  and  those  vices  which  so  much  detract 
from  the  value  of  many  horses,  as  that  the  child  will  go  to 
ruin  when  he  is  left  to  himself.  The  instructions  of  the  Di- 
vine "Word  are  to  "  train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go, 
and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it."  The  same 
fundamental  law  of  education  applies  to  the  colt ;  and  as  "  a 
child  left  to  himself  bringeth  his  mother  to  shame,"  so  a  colt 
left  to  himself  bringeth  his  master  into  trouble,  and  it  may 
be  very  serious  trouble. 


500  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.  •     ,    . 

The  colt  must  be  kept  from  the  vices  which  curse  and  ruin 
so  many  horses ;  or,  if  he  has  unfortunately  fallen  into  any 
of  them,  he  must  be  broken  of  them^now  in  his  tender 
years,  before  his  habits  become  strengthened  and  inveterate 
through  long  continuance  in  them.  The  man  who,  having 
much  to  do  with  horses  or  colts,  has  not  learned  that  they  are 
the  creatures  of  habit,  has  studied  his  business  to  but  very 
little  purpose,  if  he  has  studied  it  all.  Bad  habits  must  be 
either  broken  or  prevented,  and  here,  most  emphatically,  the 
stock-raiser  will  find  it  true  that  "an  ounce  of  prevention  is 
worth  a  pound  of  cure."  It  is  much  easier  to  keep  the  colt 
from  ever  acquiring  ugly  tricks  than  it  is  to  break  the  mature 
horse  of  any  settled  vice. 

If  the  work  of  educating  the  young  colt  be  neglected,  no 
subsequent  pains  will  be  likely  to  liiake  good  the  deficiency. 
As  "youth  is  the  seed-time  of  life,"  and  the  favorable  time 
for  improvement,  so  is  the  colt's  age  the  proper  time  for  be- 
ginning the  instructions  to  be  imparted  to  the  horse.  The. 
colt  of  three  or  four  years,  unbroken  and  untamed,  is  like  the 
youth  who  has  never  known  parental  control.  What  igno- 
rance do  we  find  in  both — what  indolence,  what  obstinacy, 
what  impatience  of  restraint,  what  rebellion  against  govern- 
ment, no  matter  how  mild  and  judicious !  Is  not  this  the 
history  of  many  horses  and  of  their  vices,  such  as  backing, 
shying,  kicking,  rearing,  running  away,  breaking  the  halter, 
continued  restiveness,  and  others  of  similar  character  ?  The 
farmer  does,  indeed,  pay  dearly  for  his  neglect  in  regard  to 
training  his  young  stock. 

Every  farmer  should  likewise  consider  within  himself  what 
each  of  his  colts  is  best  suited  for,  what  place  the  young  ani- 
mal shall  be  destined  to  fill ;  and,  as  soon  as  this  point  is  set- 
tled, he  should  go  to  work  at  once  and  conduct  the  whole 
process  of  training  with  a  view  to  the  especial  purpose  se- 
lected. All  this,  too,,  can  be  done  at  a  very  early  age  better 
than  later.  It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  rule  that  the  colt  is 
susceptible  of  training  for  whatever  service  is  desired  of  him, 
and  that  no  failures  would  occur  if  his  peculiar  adaptedness 


BREAKING,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING.  501 

were  properly  studied  and  understood.  We  may  mold  and 
fashion  His  disposition,  control  his  actions,  teach  him  obedi- 
ence and  submission,  and  Imbituate  him  to  the  performance 
of  whatever  duty  is  deemed  best  for  him.  If  properly 
trained,  he  will  be  safe  and  true,  and  utterly  free  from  vice, 
in  almost  every  instance. 

The  process  of  gentling  should  be  carried  on  as  opportunity 
offers — ^by  lifting  his  legs  and  feeling  of  them  frequently, 
handling  his  head  and  ears,  stroking  his  neck  and  body,  and 
occasionally  by  opening  his  mouth.  ]N'ot  only  should  all  this 
take  place  before  weaning-time,  while  the  colt  is  still  with  . 
his  mother,  but  a  great  deal  more  besides.  The  bridle  may 
be  shortened  and  the  bit^put  into  his  mouth.  The  bit  should 
be  a  very  small  one,  and  handled  carefully,  so  as  not  to  hurt 
his  mouth.  He  may  be  allowed  to  champ  it  for  a*  time,  but 
should  never  be  hitched  or  led  about  with  the  bridle  upon 
the  first  occasion  of  its  use.  After  he  has  become  somewhat 
accustomed  to  wearing  it,  as  he  will  when  it  has  been  put 
on  three  or  four  times,  he  may  be  led  about  with  it,  a  little 
longer  and  further  each  time.  The  first  few  times  this  is 
done  it  should  be  by  the  side  of  his  mother,  and  while  she  is 
being  led  along ;  then  he  may  follow  at  a  little  distance  be-  . 
hind  her,  and  presently  he  may  be  taken  a  few  paces  in  ad- 
vance of  her. 

It  should  be  some  time  before  he  as  tied.  When  ready  for 
this  part  of  his  training,  especially  if  he  is  to  be  made  stand . 
by  himself,  it  would  be  best  to  have  a  good,  strong  halter^ 
so  as  not  to  hurt  his  mouth.  Be  as  kind  and  gentle  toward 
him  as  possible,  but  always  continuing  the  attitude  of  a  mas- 
ter. He  must  be  made  to  understand  that  the  keeper's  will 
is  his  highest  law,  and  that  no  alternative  is  open  to  his 
choice,  but  obedience  alone  is  possible.  Do  not  suffer  him, 
at  any  time,  to  obtain  any  advantage  in  pulling  about  by  the 
halter  or  bridle,  or  in  running  away.  One  time  of  the  latter 
occurrence  may  nearly  ruin  him.  It  will  take  months  of 
careful  management  to  correct  its  evil  effects,  and  often  it 
forms  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  bad  habits.     As  he  be- 


502  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

comes  familiarized  to  standing  hitched  by  the  bridle,  Lo 
should  be  left  thus  somewhat  longer,  from  time  to  time. 

The  next  thing  in  order  is  to  accustom  him  to  the  saddle. 
A  small  one  should  be  procured,  laid  gently  on  his  back,  and 
then  removed  without  the  girth  having  been  buckled.  This 
course  may  be  continued  until  all  fear  of  the  strange  weight 
is  removed,  when  the  girths  may  be  fastened  about  him.  K 
a  saddle  of  small  size;  such  as  will  fit  his  back,  can  not  be 
procured,  a  bag  or  blanket  may  be  used,  and  similarlj^  fast- 
ened, and  thus  will  answer  nearly  the  same  purpose. 

The  person  who  feeds  the  colt  is  the  one  to  gentle  and 
train  him.  It  will  be  of  great  benefit,  in  this  process,  to  se- 
lect such  bits  of  food  as  the  colt  cai^  eat,  and  give  it  to  him 
from  the  hand.  By  this  course  he  learns  from  whom  it  is 
that  he  receives  his  food,  and  his  friendship  is  readily  secured. 
The  work  of  gentling  is  well  done  only  when  the  colt  is  'per- 
fectly  gentle,  all  his  fears  of  man  are  removed,  and  he  will 
allow  himself  to  be  handled  with  the  utmost  freedom.  The 
great  objects  to  be  accomplished  are  to  gain  his  entire  confi- 
dence, and  to  accustom  him  to  the  most  implicit  obedience, 
both  at  once.  When  this  is  the  case,  his  training  becomes 
an  easy  matter,  and  his  future  usefulness  is  assured.  These 
ends  can  best  be  attained,  in  all  cases,  by  kindness  and  mod- 
eration. The  many  failures  that  attend  the  labor  of  break- 
ing are  generally  the  consequence  of  a  neglected  colthood, 
and  of  harsh,  rough  usage  subsequently.  "  There  is  no  fault," 
says  Youatt,  **  for  which  a  breeder  should  so  invariably  dis- 
charge his  servant  as  cruelty,  or  even  harshness,  toward  the 
rising  stock;  for  the  principle  on  which  their  after  useful- 
ness is  founded  is  early  attachment  to  and  confidence  in  man, 
and  obedience,  implicit  obedience,  resulting  principally  from 
this." 

THE  OKE-YEAR  OLD   COLT. 

At  one-year  old,  the  colt  should  be  perfectly  gentle,  and 
familiar  with  the  halter,  bridle,  saddle,  and  the  different  parts 
of  the  harness,  and  should  be  accustomed  to  follow  readily 
when  led  by  either  the  halter  or  bridle,  and  to  stand  tied 


BEEAKING,  GENTLINa,  AND  TEAINING.  503 

either  in  company  with  other  horses  or  alone.  A  good 
beginning  will  now  have  been  made,  a  foundation  laid  upon 
correct  principles,  and  what  remains  to  be  done,  though  it 
is  a  great  deal  and  very  important,  will  come  almost  in  the 
natural  order  of  things. 

The  colt  should  be  tied  occasionally  by  the  side  of  some 
old  and  steady  horse  in  the  shafts,  at  first  walking  along  the 
road  in  this  way  for  half  a  mile  or  so.  When  this  has  been 
done  a  few  times,  so  that  he  has  become  used  to  the  shaking 
of  the  harness  and  the  motion  of  the  wheels,  the  pair  may  be 
put  to  a  slow  trot  on  some  level  piece  of  road.  Under  such 
discipline,  he  will  soon  learn  that  he  is  not  to  be  hurt,  while 
his  former  experience  will  not  leave  him  in  any  doubt  as  to 
the  necessity  of  submitting  to  what  is  required  of  him,  and 
thus  he  will  soon  learn  to  regard  these  new  movements  as 
quite  in  the  line  of  his  duty. 

Before  he  is  quite  ready  to  change  places  with  the  old 
horse,  and  step  into  the  shafts,  he  must  be  taught  the  use 
and  guidance  of  the  lines.  The  old  horse  should  not  now  be 
hitched  to  the  shafts  at  all,  but  the  harness,  including  the 
lines,  be  transferred  to  his  young  companion ;  and  then,  with 
some  one  to  lead,  let  them  be  driven  around  a  few  times  in 
company.  The  old  horse  may  next  be  unfastened,  and  the  colt 
driven  with  the  lines  by  himself,  some  one  walking  by  his 
head.  This  exercise  should  be  continued  until  he  becomes 
thoroughly  accustomed  to  it,  and  especially  to  being  guided 
by  the  lines.  When  sufficiently  trained  in  this  way,  he  may 
be  put  into  the  shafts,  which  should  be  gently  lowered  upon 
his  sides  several  times  in  succession,  until  he  understands 
what  they  are,  and  how  little  he  has  to  fear  from  their  touch. 

A  light  buggy  or  gig  may  be  pulled  along  after  him,  at 
this  stage  of  the  proceedings,  but  for  no  great  distance,  with 
the  colt  between  the  shafts,  yet  not  fastened  to  them.  After 
a  little  while,  the  traces  may  be  made  fast,  and  then,  with 
the  old  horse  by  his  side,  he  may  take  his  first  lessons  iu 
drawing  the  buggy,  which  are  to  be  commenced  slowly  and 
carefully.    First  move  the  old  horse  along,  when  the  colt 


-^t 


504  AMEKICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

will  naturally  moV'e  off  also,  and  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to 
stop  until  he  becomes  evidently  tired.  The  old  horse,  through- 
out this  exercise,  should  have  a  saddle  on  and  the  bridle  over 
his  neck,  ready  for  riding.  If  the  colt  moves  off  freely  and 
kindly,  after  a  few  minutes  let  the  person  at  the  head  lead 
the  old  horse  a  little  way  in  advance,  gradually  increasing 
the  distance  until  he  is  several  lengths  ahead  of  the  colt  in 
the  shafts.  Without  stopping  the  old  horse,  let  the  assistant 
now  spring  into  the  saddle,  and  keep  lengthening  the  interval 
between  himself  and  the  buggy,  until,  at  length,  the  old  horse 
is  taken  entirely  out  of  sight  of  the  colt. 

All  this  should  be  attended  to  on  level  ground,  and  with 
a  very  light  vehicle.  If  carried  out  with  ^are  and  kindness, 
this  method  will  never  fail  of  success.  We  can  not  too 
strongly  insist  upon  the  happy  mingling  of  gentleness  and 
firmness,  which  should  characterize  the  young  animal's 
treatment  throughout,  or  censure  too  severely  harshness  or 
irresolution.  If  the  colt  stops,  let  him  stand  for  a  time,  and 
then,  with  gentle  urgings,  he  will  start  on  again.  This  he 
should  be  taught  to  do,  in  fact,  before  being  separated  from 
the  old  horse;  and  not  only  this,  but  even  to  back  a  little, 
which  is  likely  to  prove  one  of  his  hardest  lessons.  Very 
slight  efforts  should  be  used  at  first  to  make  him  back,  as  he 
will  resist  them  with  considerable  obstinacy.  It  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  induce  him  to  take  two  or  three  steps  backward, 
adding  another  step  each  time  the  exercise  is  repeated,  until 
he  becomes  used  to  it. 

All  of  these  performances  are  designed  to  accustom  the 
colt  to  the  bridle,  the  saddle,  the  harness,  the  shafts  of  the 
buggy,  and  the  guidance  of  the  lines,  and  to  complete  the 
work  of  gentling  before  he  has  strength  or  inclination  to  dis- 
obey. To  these  ends,  he  should  be  exercised  frequently,  but 
without  requiring  from  him  any  real  labor  while  so  young 
and  tender. 

THE   COLT   AT   TWO   YEARS   OLD. 

During  his  third  year,  the  colt  should  be  continued  in  the 
same  training  as  before,  and  occasionally  he  may  make  short 


^  • 


BREAKINa,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING.  505 

tripa  in  the  buggy  or  other  light  vehicle,  but  should  never 
be  driven  more  than  three  or  four  miles  at  a  time.  If  there 
be  any  considerable  hill,  the  wheel  should  be  locked  going 
down  it,  and  when  ascending  it  the  driver  should  walk 
alongside,  so  that  the  colt  may  have  nothing  but  the  vehicle 
to  pull. 

This  is  the  time  to  train  him  for  the  saddle  also.  A  small 
boy — say  one  of  ten  or  twelve  years  old — may  get  on  his  back, 
and,  after  sitting  there  a  short  time,  should  get  off  again. 
The  first  time  he  is  mounted  there  should  be  no  attempt  to 
ride  him  around ;  he  is  to  be  gradually  taught  this  lesson,  as 
every  other.  He  should  be  exercised  in  this  way  as  often  as 
convenient;  the  oftener  the  better.  But  in  no  case  should 
any  one  be  allowed  to  jum'p  on  his  back.  The  boy  that 
mounts  him  should  either  be  assisted  to  do  so,  or  should  stand 
upon  some  elevation,  and  then  get  on  as  easily  and  lightly  as 
possible.  Great  injury  has  resulted  from  a  violation  of  these 
rules.  The  bones  of  the  back  have  not  yet  the  strength  and 
solidity  belonging  to  the  full-grown  horse,  and,  if  persons 
are  in  the  habit  of  jumping  suddenly  upon  him,  there  is  great 
danger  that  he  may  be  disfigured  for  life,  from  that  unsightly 
appearance  called  sway-back.  (See  Chapter  III.)  The  colt 
should  be  ridden  often,  not  merely  for  the  purpose  of  gent- 
ling him,  but  to  accustom  him  to  the  road  and  the  different 
objects  to  be  met  with  along  the  way. 

BREAKING. 

If  the  judicious  course  recommended  in  the  preceding  sec- 
tions of  this  chapter  has  been  systematically  carried  out,  the 
farmer  will  find  the  great  bugbear  of  "  breaking,"  as  it  new 
is  to  so  many,  well-nigh  disposed  of  already,  so  that  all  which 
now  remains  is  to  put  the  young  animal  at  work,  when  the 
proper  time  comes,  and  gradually  habituate  him  to  regular, 
continuous  labor.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  however,  that 
all  farmers  who  own  colts  do  not  appreciate  the  importance 
of  attending  to  the  work  of  gentling  and  training  during 
the  susceptible  years  of  the  colt  age.     Such  is  the  case,  un- 


506  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

fortnnately,  with  the  great  majority  of  them  in  the  United 
States.  The  loss  sustained  in  consequence  of  this  negligence 
is  tenfold  greater  than  thej  are  aware. 

To  what  we  have  already  said  upon  these  important  topics, 
we  may  here  add  the  emphatic  testimony  of  Youatt.  He  says : 
"  The  process  of  breaking-in  should  commence  from  the  very 
period  of  weaning ;"  and,  again,  "  The  foal  should  be  early 
handled,  *  *  *  accustomed  to  the  halter  when  led  about, 
and  even  tied  up.  The  tractability  and  good  temper  and 
value  of  the  horse  depend  a  great  deal  more  upon  this  than 
breeders  are  aware." 

As  it  is,  the  colt  is  generally  left  until  he  is  old  enough 
to  be  put  to  work,  and  then  taken  up,  wild  and  vicious,  at 
the  age  of  three  years  or  more,  to  be  broken  to  service. 
Such  a  horse  will  but  seldom  be  perfectly  gentle,  and,  in 
consequence,  some  of  his  best  capabilities  will  remain  only 
partially  developed.  The  most  favorable  opportunities,  by  far, 
have  been  lost,  yet  the  wild  colt  must  not  be  neglected  and 
given  over  as  untamable  and  useless.  From  a  former  age 
there  has  been  handed  down  to  our  farmers  a  rough,  dan- 
gerous, and  seldom  wholly  successful  method  of  breaking — 
that  of  thrusting  the  wild  colt  into  the  harness,  and  before 
the  wagon,  by  the  side  of  some  large  horse,  and  simply 
enduring  his  kicking,  rearing,  and  plunging,  until,  from 
sheer  exhaustion,  the  animal,  blowing  and  all  afoara,  is  re- 
duced to  some  degree  of  sullen  obedience.  Happily,  this  is 
being  superseded,  among  the  more  intelligent  and  better-in- 
formed class  of  stock-raisers,  by  other  modes  more  rational 
and  generous.  The  most  famous  and,  without  doubt,  the 
most  successful  of  them  all,  is  that  known  as 

THB  RAREY  METHOD. 

This  derives  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  was  first  car- 
ried to  perfection  and  given  a  world-wide  celebrity  by  the 
late  Mr.  John  S.  Rarey,  of  Groveport,  Franklin  County, 
Ohio,  although  it  was  not  wholly  original  with  him.  That 
gentleman's  experience  in  training  young  colts  and  in  tam- 


4: 


BREAKING,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING. 


507 


ing  the  -^cious  of  a  larger  growth  was  quite  extensive  and 
very  successful  in  ^ur  own  country.  In  1858  he  went  to 
England,  and  created  such  a.  furore  there  that,  it  is  said,  the 
gross  proceeds  of  his  exhibitions,  lessons,  etc.,  amounted  to 
the  snug  sum  of  £25,000,  or  about  $120,000. 

The  annexed  engrav- 
ing represents  the  halter 
recommended  by  Mr. 
Rarey  for  all  purposes, 
with  the  addition  of  his 
ordinary  breaking-bit. 
The  halter  is  of  leather, 
and  made  like  an  or- 
dinary head-stall,  but 
rather  lighter.  A  lead- 
ing-strap being  buckled 
to  the  nose-band,  either 
before  or  behind,  any 
thing  may  be  done  with 
the  colt  short  of  mount- 
ing. The  inethod  by 
which  this  halter  is  con- 
verted into  a  very  use- 
ful breaking-bridle  is 
quite  simple,  conisting 
merely  in  attaching  any 
bit  which  may  be  se- 
lected to  the  rings  con- 
necting the  check-pieces 
to  the  nose-band.  The 
attachment  is  made  by 
means  of  two  small  billets  and  buckles,  as  shown  in  the  cut. 

The  "Earey  mode"  consists  in  conquering  the  animal  by 
depriving  him  of  the  use  of  his  limbs,  and  making  him  feel 
that  he  is  utterly  powerless  in  the  hands  of  the  operator,  and 
must  submit  to  whatever  is  required  of  him.  In  other  words, 
it  carries  the  unbroken  horse  or  colt  through  a  rapid  and  vig- 


ME.  RAREY'S  HALTER,  OR  BRIDLE,    FOR  COLTS. 


508  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

orous  course  of  training,  which  is  both  systematic  aiid  severe, 
and  embraces,  in  a  short  space  of  time,^^!!  the  essential  les- 
sons that  are  to  be  taught  him — all  that  has  been  neglected 
in  a  previous  lifetime.  As  a  means  of  taming  wild  and  vi- 
cious horses,  it  is,  beyond  question,  the  best  method  known ; 
and  its  ease,  rapidity,  and  almost  invariable  success  renders 
it  a  most  important  step  forward  in  the  science  of  horse- 
breaking.  No  person  who  thoroughly  understands  it  would 
now  think  of  going  back  to  any  of  the  older  practices. 


THE  EARET  KNEE-STRAP. 

The  first  step,  of  course,  is  to  halter  the  animal,  which  it 
is  by  no  means  an  easy  matter  to  do  in  many  cases.  To 
effect  this  purpose,  Mr.  Rarey  and  his  pupils  are  said  to 
have  resorted  occasionally  to  the  use  of  certain  drugs.  Their 
method  of  procedure,  it  is  stated,  was  in  accordance  with 
the  following  directions:  "Rub  a  little  of  the  oil  of  cum- 
min upon  your  hands,  and  approach  the  horse  upon  the 
windward  side,  so  that  he  will  smell  the  cummin.  The 
horse  will  permit  you  to  come  up  to  him  without  any 
trouble.  Rub  your  hand  gently  over  the  nose,  so  as  to  get 
a  little  of  the  oil  on  it,  and  you  can  lead  him  anywhere. 
Put  eight  drops  of  the  oil  of  rhodium  into  a  silver  thimble ; 
very  gently  open  the  horse's  mouth,  and  turn  the  oil  in  the 
thimble  upon  his  tongue,  and  he  will  follow  3^ou  like  a  pet 
dog,'  and  is  your  pupil  and  your  friend."  The  use  of  any 
sort  of  drugs  or  essences,  in  connection  with  horse -training, 
is  of  doubtful  propriety  in  any  case,  yet  is,  perhaps,  admis- 
sible when  employed  to  catch  a  brute  that  is  otherwise  unap- 
proachable. It  may  well  be  questioned  whether  such  agen- 
cies do  not  prove  injurious  to  the  horse ;  and  even  if  this  be 
not  so,  their  good  effects  are  of  too  transient  a  nature  to 


BREAKING,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING. 


509 


endow  tHem  with  any  great  value.  The  owner  should  be- 
ware of  confiding  too  much  in  their  supposed  benefits,  or 
he  may  suddenly  get  into  danger  from  his  vicious  animal. 

After  the  horse  is  bridled,  the  next  step  is  to  throw  him 
upon  his  side,  which  may  be  done  quite  easily  and  without 


THE  USB  OF  THE  KNBE-STBAP. 


any  risk  by  means  of  two  straps.  The  first  of  these  should 
be  a  strong  strap  of  thick  leather,  two  feet  long,  and  at  least 
an  inch  in  width.  It  is  so  well  represented  in  the  accom- 
panying cut  that  any  further  description  is  unnecessary. 
The  end  without  the  buckle  should  be  fastened  to  the  buckle, 
about  twenty  inches  from  the  latter.  The  left  foot  is  lifted 
up  to  the  bod}^  an  assistant,  meanwhile,  managing  the  bridle, 
and  the  strap  is  slipped  over  the  knee,  and  pushed  up  over 
the  lower  pastern  joint  over  the  ankle  and  close  to  the  body 
of  the  arm ;  or,  if  the  strap  is  furnished  with  the  large  loop 


6i0  .       '         AMEKICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

shown  in  the  engraving,  it  will  be  necessary  to  lift  the  leg- 
first,  and  then  buckle  the  strap.  The  animal  now  stands  on 
three  legs,  and  is  utterly  incapable  of  doing  any  mischief, 
unless  it  be  with  the  teeth.  Let  him  remain  thus  for  five 
or  ten  minutes.  If  the  knee-strap  does  not  hold  the  foot 
pretty  close  to  the  body,  draw  the  buckle  a  little  tighter. 
If  he  "sp rings  and  jumps  about,  let  him  have  bridle-room, 
and  satisfy  himself  that  he  is  securely  fastened  and  can  not 
get  his  foot  down.  The  annexed  engraving,  which  is  a 
sketch  of  "  Cruiser,"  Mr.  Rarey's  most  celebrated  conquest, 
at  the  second  stage  of  the  preparations  for  his  taming,  well 
indicates  the  application  of  this  strap. 

The  second  strap  should  be  six  feet  long,  and  furnished 
with  an  inch-and-a-half  ring  at  one  end,  securedly  sewed 
fast.    When  used  in  connection  with  the  surcingle,  as  Mr. 


THE  BABEY  LEG-STBAP. 

Rarey's  practice  was,  it  need  not  be  so  long;  and,  in  any 
case,  a  good,  stout  leather  loop,  such  as  is  shown  in  the  sub- 
joined cut,  will  be  better  than  the  iron  ring.  The  strap  is 
to  be  noosed  around  the  ankle  of  the  right  fore-foot,  the  end 
extending  over  the  animal's  shoulders,  and  held  firmly  in  the 
right  hand  of  the  operator,  who  stands  abreast  the  left  shoul- 
der, and  jerks  up  the  right  fore-foot,  when  the  horse  falls, 
of  course,  upon  his  knees.  Here  he  must  remain,  if  the  as- 
sistant, who  manages  the  bridle,  does  his  duty,  and  the  oper- 
ator himself  keeps  the  strap  around  the  right  foot  drawn 
tightly  over  the  top  of  the  shoulders.  He  may  struggle  vio- 
lently, and  try  to  get  up  from  his  kneeling  posture,  but,  by 


# 
4ii 


BKEAKINa,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING. 


511 


keeping  his  head  down  and  his  right  foot  well  up,  he  will 
soon  grow  tired  of  this,  and,  before  long,  show  a  dispo- 
sition to  lie  down.  The  operator  should  encourage  him  to 
do  so  by  kind,  soothing  words,  and,  with  one  hand  in  the 
mangle,  try  to  pull  him  over  on  the  left  side,  while  with  the 
other  hand  he  should  be  rubbed  and  carressed.     The  assist- 


MB.  BABET'S  APPABATUS  ABBANGED  FOB  THE  FINAL  STBUGGLE. 


ant,  holding  the  bridle,  should  turn  the  head  toward  the  right 
side,  to  facilitate  the  movement,  and  to  compel  him  to  fall, 
when  he  finally  concludes  to  do,  so,  upon  the  left  side,  so 
that  his  back  will  ^  be  toward  the  operator.  His  struggles 
may  now  begin  again,  but  if  his  head  is  held  firmly  to  the 
ground,  and  his  left  foot  firmly  kept  back,  he  will  soon  give 
over. 

"We  have  described  these  operations  as  the  work  of  two 
men,  because,  in  this  way,  the  process  becomes  so  simple  and 


512  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

easy  that  no  intelligent  farmer  or  farm-hand,  of  ordinary 
strength  and  activity,  need  be  afraid  to  subject  his  powers 
to  the  experimental  test  of  the  Rarey  method.  But  in  Mr. 
Rarey's  own  practice  and  instructions  no  assistant  was  al- 
lowed the  operator — a  limitation  which  was  compensated  in 
a  slight  degree,  however,  by  the  addition  of  a  surcingle, 
buckled  on  as  represented  in  the  portrait  of  "  Cruiser,"  page 
509,  and  also  in  that  on  page  511,  which  shows  the  whole 
apparatus  arranged  for  the  final  struggle  between  the  horse 
and  his  tamer.  Here  it  will  be  seen  that  the  leg-strap  is 
passed  through  the  surcingle,  under  the  belly.  It  is  grasped 
by  the  right  hand,  well  gloved,  just  back  of  the  surcingle, 
while  the  left  hand  manages  the  bridle-reins.  The  horse  is 
urged  to  move  a  little,  which  he  can  only  do  by  hopping, 
when  suddenly  the  left  leg  is  drawn  up  to  the  surcingle  and 
there  kept.  At  this,. he  falls  on  his  knees,  of  course;  but, 
if  possessed  of  any  spirit,  he  will  soon  begin  bounding  into 
the  air  upon  his  hind  legs;  and  then  the  operator  must  be 
active  and  on  the  alert,  using  both  hands,  as  above  directed, 
to  the  best  possible  advantage,  and  never  getting  so  far  for- 
ward as  to  expose  himself  to  the  danger  of  being  caught 
under  the  horse  when  he  falls  upon  his  knees.  Sooner  or 
later  the  animal  will  become  exhausted,  whether  he  resists 
by  violent  plunges  or  sulkily  remains  on  his  knees,  and 
when  this  takes  place  he  will  be  glad  to  lie  down  of  his 
own  accord.  The  right  rein  must  be  kept  tight,  so  as  to 
keep  his  head  turned  away  toward  the  off-side,  and,  if  need 
be,  the  operator  may  use  the  further  argument  of  a  little 
pressure,  exerted  to  pull  the  horse  toward  himself.  A  man 
of  nerve  and  activity,  especially  after  he  has  had  a  little  ex- 
perience, is  likely  to  prefer  carrying  the  process  through  with- 
out the  aid  of  an  assistant.  * 

Once  fairly  subdued  by  these  means,  and  lying  upon  his 
side,  the  horse  will  be  indisposed  to  get  up  for  the  present, 
and  now  comes  the  golden  opportunity  for  profiting  by  all 
that  is  past.  The  animal  must  be  treated  with  the  utmost 
gentleness,  and  every  effort  made  to  quiet  his  fears  and 


BREAKING,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING. 


mt 


soothe  h'is  terrible  excitement,  wliicli  often  causes  him  to 
tremble  exceedingly.  He  must  be  convinced  that,  although 
completely  mastered,  he  is  in  no  way  to  be  hurt.  Confidence 
must  replace  terror,  and  docility  his  stubborn  or  vicious  way- 
wardness. Let  the  operator  stroke  his  hair  with  the  hand; 
pat  his  body,  neck,  and  head ;  handle  his  feet,  legs,  and  ears, 
and,  in  fact,  all  parts  of  his  body,  accompanying  all  this 
with  kind  and  reassuring  words.  The  man  may  now  sit 
down  upon  him,  turn  around  from  side  to  side,  lie  down 
upon  'him,  etc.  The  more  motions  and  changes  that  can  be 
gone  through  with  the  better. 


THE  HOKSE  TAMED  BY  KARET'S  METHOD, 


The  saddle  should  be  brought  and  gently  laid  upon  him, 
the  stirrups  hanging  on  each  side  of  his  body;  likewise  all 
parts  of  the  harness,  piece  by  piece,  and  the  chains,  if  they 
are  to  be  used,  laid  across  the  prostrate  form.  After  these 
maneuvers  have  been  carried  forward  for  half  an  hour,  or 
thereabouts,  and  all  signs  of  fear  =3eem  to  have  departed,  the 
33 


514  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK- 

straps  (and  surcingle,  if  one  has  been  employed)  may  be  re- 
moved, the  head  liberated,  and  the  horse  encouraged  to  rise 
to  his  feet.  Many  persons  make  the  animals  undergoing 
this  process  lie  down  in  this  way  a  number  of  times,  until 
they  readily  submit  to  the  operation,  and  fall  first  upon  their 
knees  and  then  upon  their  sides,  almost  at  the  word  of  com- 
mand, and  until  the  last  vestiges  of  fear  of  saddle,  harness, 
chains,  and  even  shafts,  have  vanished.  It  is  astonishing  how 
quickly  this  will  follow  when  once  the  horse  is  conquered. 
He  may  be  taught  obedience  in  almost  every  particular.  But 
this  requires  constant,  close  attention,  and  great  patience, 
and  sometimes  the  work  of  breaking  is  not  completed  short 
of  some  days. 

Some  persons  bring  the  buggy  and  lay  the  shafts  on  the 
horse  while  he  is  down,  and  let  the  wheels  pass  around  him 
near  his  body.  After  he  is  on  his  feet  again,  the  saddle  may 
be  brought  and  laid  carefully  on  his  back.  If  he  submits  to 
this,  well ;  if  not,  he  must  be  taken  through  another  course 
of  exercise  on  his  side,  and  this  must  be  continued  until-  he 
is  willing  to  allow  not  only  the  saddle  to  be  put  on  him  but 
every  portion  of  the  harness  as  well.  Only  one  piece  of  the 
gearing  should  be  tried  on  him  at  a  time,  and,  if  he  scares 
or  jumps  at  any  of  these,  remove  them  and  lay  him  down 
again,  and  take  him  through  another  course  of  exercise. 

The  first  time  that  he  is  ridden,  it  should  be  in  the  stable, 
where  he  has  been  laid  on  his  side ;  and  here  he  may  be 
mounted  by  some  lad,  just  as  he  has  risen  from  his  recum- 
bent position,  and  led  around  the  stable  several  times  with 
the  young  rider  on  his  bare  back.  This  operation  must  be 
frequently  repeated,  until  he  becomes  accustomed  to  the  bur- 
den. He  should  not  be  hitched  up  in  the  shafts  until  he  has 
become  peifectly  familiar  with  them,  and  all  traces  of  fear 
have  disappeared.  He  may  be  prepared  for  hitching  up  by 
being  led  into  the  shafts  frequently,  when  they  may  be  lifted 
by  his  side,  raised  Up  and  down,  etc.,  until  he  is  satisfied  they 
will  not  harm  him.  If  he  jumps  about  and  shows  any 
timidity,  continue  the  lesson  till  he  submits,  and  will  permit 


BKEAKING,  GENTLINa,  A:fTD  TKAININa  515 

the  shafts  to  be  laid  upon  his  back  or  neck,  or  by  his  side., 
If  he  is  obstinately  fractious  or  scary,  lock  up  his  fore-feet, 
etc.,  again.  Under  such  discipline  he  can  not  long  hold 
out. 

Whatever  you  undertake  to  teach  him,  persevere  in  the 
instructions  until  you  succeed.  If  the  horse  has  been  thor- 
oughly worn-out  and  conquered  at  the  outset,  there  will  not 
be  much  trouble  subsequently;  but,,  unless  that  has  been 
done,  it  will  be  a  somewhat  prolonged  course  before  he  is 
brought  under  proper  subjection.  But  always  remain  kind, 
though  firm.  Allow  no  harsh  words  or  measures  of  any 
kind.  Let  all  your  handling  of  him  be  gentle  and  soothing, 
remembering  that  the  law  of  kindness  is  always  more  potent 
than  that  of  force.  After  the  harness  has  been  put  on,  an. 
assistant  may  go  behind  him,  and,  taking  the  traces  in  his 
hands,  pull  back,  so  that  a  gentle  pressure  will  be  brought  to 
bear  upon  his  shoulders;  and  when  he  has  kindly  submitted 
to  this,  he  may  be  hitched  up  in  the  buggy,  and  gently  started 
ofl'  in  it. 

Another  plan,  besides  that  here  indicated,  for  familiarizing 
him  with  the  shafts  is  the  method  laid  down  in  a  preceding 
section  of  this  chapter  for  the  training  of  the  one-year-old 
colt ;  namely,  to  hitch  him  by  the  side  of  another  very  gentle 
horse,  harnessed  in  the  buggy,  and,  with  their  heads  tied 
quite  close  together,  to  drive  them  around  until  the  un- 
broken one  will  lead  kindly  beside  the  other.  When  this  is 
accomplished,  the  two  may  change  places,  and  the  exercise 
resumed  as  before.  Still  another  mode,  which  is  in  prac- 
tice to  some  extent,  is  to  hitch  the  unbroken  horse  in  a  cart, 
and  put  in  a  very  strong  though  gentle  horse  before  him, 
the  two  thus  forming  a  ''tandem."  The  management  of 
the  hinder  one,  by  either  leading  or  driving,  will  be  work 
enough  for  one  person.  After  a  time  the  forward  horse 
may  be  unhitched,  and  led  in  advance  of  the  colt,  the  dis- 
tance being  gradually  increased  until  the  novice  finds  he 
can  go  alone,  when  the  old  horse  may  be  taken  oft*  the  fi.eld 
entirely. 


516  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

"When  the  process  of  breaking  is  commenced,  it  should  be 
pursued  vigorously  every  day,  until  the  wild  horse  is  thor- 
oughly and  completely  broken ;  and  when  put  in  the  shafts 
he  should  be  driven  freely.  "With  such  an  animal  energetic 
measures  are  necessary  to  teach  him  that  you  are  his  master, 
and  that  he  must  submit  to  your  control.  Do  not  begin  the 
arduous  task  of  breaking  him  until  you  have  the  harness, 
and  every  thing  else  that  you  expect  to  use,  ready  at  hand, 
and  strong ;  and  then  keep  him  going  until  he  is  conquered, 
broken,  and  trained.  The  directions  given  in  the  case  of  the 
young  colt  for  starting,  backing,  and  holding  back  in  going 
down  hill  will  apply  none  the  less  here,  and  ought  to  be  fully 
followed,  observing  only  this  difference,  that  the  stronger 
the  animal,  the  more  he  can  bear.  There  will  be  much  less 
need  of  favoring  him,  of  course,  than  the  young  and  tender 
colt. 

SADDLE   HORSES. 

It  is  not  80  much  our  purpose  to  enter  into  detailed  direc- 
^tions  for  training  the  horse  for  the  saddle 
as  it  is  to  point  out  natural  adaptedness  of 
form  and  gait  for  this  purpose.  Some  horses 
are  naturally  so  well  suited  for  this  use  that 
they  travel  lightly,  and  with  ease,  from  the 
first  time  they  are  ever  put  to  it,  and  such  only  need  control 
and  a  little  traininor  to  make  most  excellent  saddle-horses. 

A  particular  form  or  build  of 
the  horse  generally  brings 
about  this  result.  Light,  clean 
limbs;  a  quick,  ready  step, 
high  and  free ;  the  hips  drop- 
ping from  the  top  downward 
to  the  roots  of  the  tail;  the 
tail  low,  and  well-set  in  the 
hips.  These  are  the  qualities 
indicative  of  a  good  saddle-horse,  and  of  which  none  being 
present  it  is  useless  to  attempt  to  make  the  horse  a  desirable 
hackney.    Many  horses  exceedingly  valuable  in  other  capaci- 


BREAKING,  GENTLING  AND  TRAINING. 


517 


ties  are  of  no  account  in  this  one.  Their  feet  are  large  and 
coarse ;  they  lack  quickness  and  suppleness ;  their  motions 
are  dull  and  heavy,,  and  they  drag  their  hind  limbs  along  in 
a  most  awkward,  sluggish  manner.  High,  sharp  shoulders 
and  hips,  with  the  tail  set  high — almost  on  a  level,  in  fact, 
with  the  top  of  the  hips — never  belong  to  a  good  saddle- 
horse. 

There  is  a  breed  of  pacing  horses  in  our  country  that  almost 
invariably  make  excellent  saddle-horses.  These  are  natural 
pacers,  taking  to  this  move- 
ment almost  from  their  births 
and  having  no  other  travel- 
ing gait.  Horses  not  natu- 
rally pacers  are  often  broken 
to  the  gait  by  tying  a  short 
side-line  to  the  right  side  of 
the  bit,  and  then  to  the  stir- 
rup, so  that  the  head  will  be 
pulled  to  the  right  every 
time  a  step  is  taken.  The 
same  end  will  be  answered 
by  holding  the  right  rein 
closely  drawn  with  the  hand, 
thus  giving  the  horse  in  his  forward  progress  a  rocking  mo- 
tion. Other  means  have  occasionally  been  practiced  to  break 
the  horse  to  this  gait.  The  horse  that  is  not  naturally  a 
pacer  is  seldom  a  very  desirable  animal  under  the  saddle 
when  made  such  by  artificial  means. 

Another  exceedingly  pleasant  and  easy  gait  is  the  "fox- 
trot," as  it  is  called,  which  may  be  taught  almost  any  horse 
of  small,  clean  limbs  and  feet,  and  a  quick,  active  step.  This 
is  done  by  gradually  forcing  the  animal  into  a  movement 
faster  than  a  walk,  but  never  allowing  him  to  strike  a  trot. 
Continued  careful  practice  will  make  this  motion  a  confirmed 
habit. 

In  the  army,  officers'  and  cavalry  horses  are  preferably 
chosen  from  natural  trotters,  their  gait  being  one  consistent 


•♦  t 


518 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


with  the  severe  exercise  of  long  inarches  and  great  endurance. 
Those  men,  whether  in  civilized  or  other  lands,  who  spend 

most  of  their  lives  in  the 
saddle,  seldom  practice 
their  horses  in  more  than 
two  movements  faster  than 
a  walk — the  trot  and  the 
gallop.  A  sustained,  rapid 
trot  is  a  hard  gait  for  the 
inexperienced  rider;  but, 
when  oile  is  inured  to  it, 
no  other  seems  comparable 
with  it  for  long  journeys. 
General  Sheridan's  famous 
black  stallion,  which  bore  him  to  the  field  of  Opequan  Creek 
from  Winchester,  *^ twenty  miles  away" — an  occasion  already 
celebrated  irt  history  and  song — is  said  to  have  been  one  of 
the  hardest-gaited  horses  that  man  ever  bestrode — one  which 
it  would  be  a  sore  task  for  many  a  professional  jockey  to  have 
to  ride. 


y^j 


HORSES  FOR  THE  BUGGY  AND  CARRIAGE. 

TTsually,  the  horse  of  the  American  farmer  must  be  some- 
what accustomed  to  almost  every  variety  of  exercise — to  the 

saddle,  the  buggy,  and  the  car- 
riage as  well  as  the  plow  and  the 
wagon.  Hard  labor,  on  the  road 
or  in  the  field,  impairs  the  quali- 
ties for  use  under  the  saddle,  and 
the  farm-horse  is  not  generally 
well  suited  to  the  carriage.  Yet, 
a  horse  of  fine  form  and  limb 
will  always  be  more  active  in  the  shafts  of  any  vehicle  than 
one  that  is  coarse  and  raw-boned. 

The  best  carriage-horses  are  not  those  of  largest  size^ 
They  should  have  height  and  length,  but  the  body  should  be 
light  and  compact,  with  small,  clean  limbs,  and  a  hard  mus- 


BKEAKING,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING. 


519 


cle.  Let  this  be  the  mold  from  which  all  selections  are  made 
of  horses  for  the  buggy  and  carriage.  It  is  the  most  beauti- 
ful, no  less  than  the  most  serviceable.  Directions  have  al- 
ready been  given  in  the 'preceding  section  of  this  chapter  for 
breaking  the  colt  and  the  horse  for  these  uses.  Constant  ex- 
ercise in  the  carriage  is  essential  to  perfection  of  training. 
Horses  that  are  matched,  or  those  that  habitually  work  to- 
gether, should  be  often  changed  from  side  to  side.  This  will 
prevent  or  break  up  certain  bad  habits  that  such  horses  are 
apt  to  contract  when  always  placed  on  the  same  side. 

DRAUGHT  HORSES. 

These  embrace  the  heaviest  and  strongest  breeds  of  horses. 
Large  feet  and  legs  are  quite  in  place  here,  with  powerful 


joints  and  muscles;  but,  of  course,  it  is  utterly  out  of  the 
question  to  expect  rapidity  of  motion  from  a  draught  horse. 


* 

.'^^T*" 


520 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


^- 


BREAKING,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING.  521 

The  Dutch  horse,  originally  from  Pennsylvania,  is  the  one 
most  used  in  this  country  for  the  constant  wear  and  tear  of 
heavy  wagoning,  and  similar  labors,  and  for  these  purposes 
possesses  a  peculiar  adaptedness. 

In  the  draught  horse  it  is  desirable  that  there  be  a  much 
less  slanting  direction  of  the  shoulder — that  is,  of  the  scapula 
(see  13,  in  cut  on  page  24) — than  in  the  horse  designed  for 
rapid  motion,  in  order  that  there  may  be  more  weight  thrown 
into  the  collar,  and  that  the  burden  of  the  draught  may  be 
more  equally  distributed  along  the  whole  length  of  the 
shoulder.  Such  a  conformation,  however,  always  indicates 
the  capabilities  of  a  slow,  steady  plodder  merely.  In  regard 
to  this  particular,  the  artist  who  executed  the  full-page  illus- 
tration opposite  could  hardly  have  had  a  fair  specimen  of 
the  class  for  a  model.  An  oblique  shoulder  is  ah  essential 
prerequisite  to  speed,  and  especially  to  a  maintenance  of  it. 
The  engraving  on  page  519  shows  the  relative  situations  of 
the  bones  of  the  tore  and  hind  extremities,  and  will  doubt- 
less assist  our  readers  to  understand  the  subject  more  clearly. 

ROADSTERS 

Under  this  designation  may  be  classed  the  stage  and  om- 
nibus horses,  those  for  passenger  carriages,  saddle  horses  used 
habitually  for  long  journeys,  etc.  The  draught  horse  is  by 
no  means  suited  for  tbese  purposes,  being  too  heavy  and  slow, 
and  soon  breaking  down.  The  horse  of  small  body  and  good 
length,  with  light,  active  limbs,  is  best  adapted  to  the  road. 
There  is  no  better  stock  known  for  these  employments  than  | 
a  cross  with  the  Arabian  or  the  Andalusian.  The  roadster 
should  have  no  surplus  flesh;  his  mi||cles  must  be  hard  and 
compact,  his  limbs  well-shaped^nd  trim,  his  joints  full  and 
round,  and  his  foot  and  ankle  sloping  backward  at  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees  from  the  point  of  the  toe. 

There  are  some  horses  with  long  bodies  and  quite  short 
legs,  and  these  make  the  worst  roadsters  in  the  world.  The 
length  of  the  body  and  that  of  the  limbs  should  correspond. 
Some  long  legs,  also,  are  very  objectionable — too  small,  yet 


522 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


'.^4 


BREAKING,  GENTLING,  AND  TRAINING.  523 

nearly  as  large  at  the  ankle  as  they  are  next  the  body ;  the  joints 
are  too  small  and  flat,  and  the  ankles  too  straight,  while  the 
foot  is  round  and  "  clumped."  Horses  no  better  limbed  than 
this  can  possess  no  endurance  on  the  road,  and  are  very  apt 
to  be  stumblers. 

The  friendly-looking  old  customer  opposite  has 'evidently 
seen  a  considerable  share  of  hard  service  in  his  day,  but  is 
still  quite  willing  to  do  his  part  again  whenever  called  upon. 
He  is  one  of  the  stoutest  built  animals  of  his  class. 

MULE   BREAKING,  TRAINING,  ETC.  ^V^*^ 

On  these  heads  not  much  need  be  said.  The  mule  requires 
but  little  breaking  or  training,  taking  to  work  almost  as 
though  it  was  natural  to  him.  He  should  be  handled  while 
a  colt,  and  broken  to  the  halter,  and  also  to  the*  saddle,  if 
desired.  Further  than  this  not  much  is  required  until  he  is 
three  years  old,  which  is  the  proper  age  for  the  mule  colt  to 
begin  to  work.  Then,  if  already  halter-broken,  he  may  at 
once  be  hitched  up  in  the  plow  or  wagon,  by  the  side  of 
another  steady  mule  or  horse,  and  at  the  end  of  the  first  day 
he  will  be  as  well  broken  as  many  a  horse-colt  will  be  at  the 
end  of  a  fortnight  or  a  month. 

There  are  two  classes  of  mules — the  large  and  the  small. 
The  former  are  safest  and  most  gentle.  They  are  excellent 
for  draught,  while  some  of  them  make  very  fine  matches  for 
the  carriage,  in  which  they  work  well.  In  the  buggy,  also, 
they  look  finely.  We  hardly  think  a  finer  span  can  be  turned 
out  anywhere  thai!  a  pair  of  large,  well-formed  black  mules, 
with  tail-hairs  clipped  and  mane  roached,  well  caparisoned, 
and  before  a  nice  carriage.  In  such  capacities  they  are  much 
in  use  in  many  parts  of  the  South,  where  ihej  are  great  fa- 
vorites. They  are  much 'safer  than  horses.  Some  of  them 
make  splendid  animals  under  the  saddle ;  and,  in  fact,  the 
finest  pacer  we  ever  saw  was  a  large,  light  bay  mule,  in  Gib- 
son County,  Tennessee. 

Small  mules  are  more  hardy  than  large  ones,  but  not  so 
reliable,  and  sometimes  they  are  a  little  vicious  and  in- 


524 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


tractable,  especially  in  respect  to  kicking.  Nor  are  they  very 
safe  or  pleasant  to  ride.  For  ordinary  farm-work,  however, 
they  are  the  most  valuable  animals  in  the  world.  A  small, 
compactly-built  mule  will  do  more  work  in  the  plow  or 
before  the  wagon  than  the  best  substitute  the  farmer  can 
find.     • 


FRACTURES.  525 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

FRACTURES. 

It  is  not  often  that  any  of  the  bones  in  the  horse's  frame 
are  broken ;  but  decidedly  the  most  common  occurrences  of 
this  kind  take  place  at  the  hip  and  the  hock,  as  described 
in  appropriate  sections  of  Chapter  III.  Fractures  are  of 
two  kinds — simple  and  compound.  In'  the  former  but  one 
bone  is  broken,  and  does  not  protrude  through  the  skin ;  in 
the  latter  either  one  or  two  bones  are  broken,  and  the  sur- 
rounding ligaments  are  lacerated,  so  that  the  bone  protrudes 
to  or  through  the  skin. 

FRACTURE   OF  THE   SKULL. 

Occasionally  the  bones  of  the  skull  are  fractured.  Such 
cases  nearly  always  terminate  in  death,  sooner  or  later. 
Sometimes  the  sufferer  seems  greatly  better — so  much  so, 
indeed,  as  to  be  returned  to  his  customary  duties;  but  there 
.is  danger  of  his  falling  dead  upon  any  occasion  of  unusual 
exertion,  or  else  apoplexy  may  set  in  and  end  his  days.  An 
injury  of  this  character  will  be  accompanied  by  slight  con- 
vulsive motions  of  the  entire  body,  by  a  hard,  laborious 
breathing,  and  by  a  staggering  gait.  The  eyes  will  be  nearly 
Mosed,  or  sometimes  quite  so,  the  head  carried  hanging 
down,  the  lips  pendent,  and  the  saliva  often  flowing  freely 
from  the  mouth.     There  is  no  remedy  for  a  fractured  skull. 

More  injuries  of  this  kind  happen  than  farmers  are  aware 
of.  The  cause  is  generally  the  infliction  of  a  severe  blow 
upon  the  head  by  an  enraged  teamster,  costing  the  owner 
the  life  of  a  valuable  animal.  If  such  blows  do  not  fracture 
the  cranium,  and  thus  kill  the  horse,  they  are  extremely  apt 
to  produce  concussion  of  the  brain,  which  results  in  mate-  . 


■if  • 
526  AMEKICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

rial  injury  of  a  permanent  nature.  Especially  is  there  danger 
of  its  destroying  the  sight  or  hearing  of  the  poor  creature. 
"We  have  been  the  unwilling  spectator  of  several  cases  of 
beating  over  the  head,  until  the  water  ran  from  the  horse's 
eyes ;  and  then,  within  a  few  months  subsequently ,'have  seen 
the  eyes  of  the  same  horse  become  milky,  the  case  terminat- 
ing presently  in  confirmed  moon-blindness,  as  it  is  incor- 
rectly called.  The  instances  of  stupid,  doltish  horses  re- 
duced to  this  condition  by  such  brutal  violence  are  not  a 
few.  The  greatest  misfortune,  oftentimes,  is,  that  the  owner 
is  kept  in  ignorance  of  what  has  transpired.  He  soon  dis- 
covers the  sad  effects  of  the  brutality,  but  never  learns  the 
true  cause. 

FRACTURE  OP  THE  NASAL  BONES. 

It  IS  strange  how  unobservant  some  men  are  in  regard  to 
their  horses.  We  have  seen  the  bones  of  the  nose  fractured 
so  badly  as  quite  to  disfigure  the  animal,  and  all  the  while 
the  owner  seemed  wholly  ignorant  that  any  thing  was 
wrong.  These  cases  generally  get  well  of  themselves,  un- 
less the  bones  are  bent  inward  considerably,  in  which  case 
it  will  require  the  instruments  of  the  surgeon  to  replace 
them.  If  they  protrude  outward,  however,  tliey  may  be  re- 
stored to  their  proper  position  by  the  pressure  of  the  hand. 
An  application  of  hot  salt  water  will  remove  much  of  the 
fever  and  soreness. 

FRACTURE   OF   THE   RIBS. 

The  ribs  are  sometimes  broken  by  severe  falls  upon  th« 
side,  or  against  some  hard,  upright  object,  as  a  post  or  rock. 
These  cases  are  rare,  however,  and  are  never  discovered, 
perhaps,  unless  accompanied  by  vertebral  fracture.  A  few 
cases  are  recorded  by  English  veterinarians.  I^othing  can 
be  done  for  them,  except  to  give  the  horse  rest,  when,  if  not 
injured  internally,  he  may  get  well.  If  the  locality  of  the 
fracture  can  be  discovered,  the  parts  should  be  well  bathed 
with  hot  salt  water,  having  a  strong  infusion  of  golden  seal. 


FRACTUKES.  527 


SIMPLE   FRACTURE   OF   THE   LIMBS. 

The  legs  are  occasionally  broken,  either  in  consequence 
of  a  blow  or  a  fall,  or  from  the  horse  getting  them  hung  in 
some  fast  place.  It  matter^  not  so  much  to  know  what 
caused  the  fracture,  as  it  does  to  understand  what  to  do  for 
it,  and  how  to  do  it.  A  broken  leg  is  a  serious  affair,  and 
needs  immediate  attention ;  while  an  accurate  knowledge  of 
the  course  proper  to  be  pursued  is  indispensable.  The  lack 
of  such  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  farmers  of  our  coun- 
try, nearly  always  consigns  the  horse  to  death  at  once,  with- 
out a  single  effort  having  been  made  to  save  him.  This  sad 
state  of  affairs  proceeds  mainly  from  the  unfrequency  of  these 
accidents.  The  very  large  majority  of  Americaus  have  never 
seen  a  horse  with  a  broken  limb,  although  accustomed  to 
horses  all  their  lives;  and  should  this  casualty  befall  one  of 
their  own  stock,  at  least  four-fifths  of  them  would  give  up 
the  case  in  utter  discouragement,  and  suffer  the  animal  to 
be  killed 'forthwith.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that 
nothing  can  be  done  for  such  a  horse.  If  the  proper  meas- 
ures are  adopted  promptly,  he  may,  generally,  be  saved. 
They  involve  considerable  labor,  it  is  true,  and  draw  some- 
what on  the  farmer's  time  and  patience ;  yet  this  is  a  much 
greater  bugbear  with  most  than  there  is  any  reason  for;  and 
even  were  the  trouble  as  much  as  is  imagined,  we  know  of 
no  more  profitable  way  of  spending  the  same  amount  of 
time. 

In  simple  fracture  of  the  leg  there  is  but  one  bone  broken, 
and  there  is  no  displacement.  The  horse  is,  commonly,  able 
to  walk  about,  but  is  terribly  lame,  of  course.  The  treat- 
ment of  such'  a  case  is  not  difi&cult.  The  leg  should  be 
bandaged  with  strong  strips  of  starched  cloth.  Pads  of 
cotton  should  be  laid  upon  the  leg,  at  the  point  of  fracture, 
and  the  bandages  wound  over  them.  In  most  instances  of 
simple  fracture,  the  horse  does  not,  at  first,  get  down  at  all, 
but  remains  standing  upon  his  three  feet  for  several  days. 
Ultimately  he  becomes  so  wearied,  however,  that  he  will  lie 


*#» 


528  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

down,  if  he  can.  This  is  never  to  be  permitted,  but  the 
owner  should,  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  accident  is  dis- 
covered, make  arrangements  to  furnish  him  support,  or  he 
may  lie  down  upon  the  fractured  limb  and  break  it  worse 
than  before.  The  salt  and  water,  made  strong  with  the 
golden  seal,  and  as  hot  as  he  can  bear  it,  should  be  applied 
to  the  entire  limb,  from  the  body  to  the  foot,  wetting  the 
bandages  thoroughly.  This  should  be  done  four  or  five  times 
a  day,  during  the  first  four  or  five  days,  and  then  gradually 
slackened,  until  it  is  not  used  at  all.  The  bandages  must  be 
taken  off  and  re-applied,  every  other  day ;  and  if  the  wound 
appears  to  swell,  and  the  horse  shows  signs  of  pain,  (which 
will  be  indicated  bj^  his  restlessness,)  the  bandages  should 
remain  only  a  few  hours,  and  then  be  loosened ;  and  when 
the  bandage  is  off,  let  the  hot  bathing  be  well  applied. 
*  In  the  case  of  compound  fractures,  th«  horse  will  gener- 
ally get  down  on  his  side,  and  must  be  raised  to  his  feet. 
It  will  take  some  time  to  make  the  necessary  preparations 
for  this,  and  they  will  be  attended  with  some  little  trouble 
and  expense. 

As  this  is  the  first  and  most  important  step,  a  clear  de- 
scription of  the  different  arrangements  for  raising  the  horse 
will  be  necessary.  The  first  and  best  is  the  Sling.  This  may 
be  used  in  either  simple  or  compound  fracture.  If  the  horse 
is  still  on  his  feet,  and  near  the  stable,  he  may  be  led  into 
it,  and  a  couple  of  very  stong  hooks  put  into  the  beam 
above,  or  into  the  sides  of  his  stall,  if  strong  enough,  and 
the  sling  suspended  to  those  on  either  side. 

The  cut  on  next  page  conveys  a  good  idea  of  a  sling  (Com- 
plete in  all  its  parts;  but  one  of  simpler  construction  will 
answer  the  purpose  when  one  so  elaborate  can  not  be  had. 
It  may  be  made  of  either  bagging  or  sail  cloth.  Four  yards 
of  the  cloth  will  be  sufficient.  Sew  the  ends  of  the  cloth 
together  very  strongly.  This,  when  doubled,  will  be  about 
six  feet  in  length.  Two  round  sticks  of  very  hard,  strong 
wood  to  put  through  the  cloth ;  to  these  attach  strong  ropes, 
fastened  to  each  end  of  the  sticks,  so  that  they  will  each 


FKACTURES. 


52a 


have  a  rope  extending  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Each 
rope  should  be  about  six  feet  in  the  loop  between  the  ends 
of  the  stick,  and  so  tied  that  it  can  not  slide  either  way. 
Let  the  sling  thus  arranged  be  put  under  the  horse,  and  then 
another  rope  be  carried  through  the  one  attached  to  the  ends 
of  the  stick,  and  through  a  ring  on  the  hook  at  the  sides 
of  the  stable ;  let  the  rope  be  carried  around  twice,  and  first 
drawn  up  and  fastened  on  one  side,  and  then  on  the  other, 


HORSE  WITH  FBACTUEED  LEG. 


until  it  raises  the  horse's  body  about  two  inches,  and  yet  so- 
that  he  can  stand  on  his  feet.  He  will  very  soon  learn  to  rest 
his  body  on  the  sling  when  his  fore-Jeg  becomes  very  tired. 
He  must  be  hitched  to  the  front  by  a  good,  strong  halter^ 
so  that  he  can  not  pull  back,  and  throw  himself  out  of  the 
sling.  He  can  not  have  room  to  do  so  forward  for  the 
manger.  If  it  is  his  fore-leg  that  is  fractured,  he  will  try 
to  throw  himself  backward;  but  if  the  hind  oney  he  will 
34 


680  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

incline  forward.  In  either  case  he  must  be  prevented.  It 
may  be  that  such  an  accident  may  occur  at  some  distance 
from  the  stable,  in  which  case  resort  must  be  had  to  the 

FRAME. 

A  kind  of  gallows  may  be  constructed  very  readily  by 
locking  rails  or  poles  together,  after  the  manner  of  fixing  a 
quick  gallows  upon  which  to  hang  slaughtered  hogs,  with 
which  every  farmer  is  well  acquainted.  It  will  take  eight 
poles  and  four  chains.  These  must  be  so  arranged  as  to 
stand  on  both  sides  of  the  horse,  and  in  each  of  these  couples 
large  heavy  poles  should  be  laid,  which  should  be  about 
fourteen  feet  long,  and  elevated  about  eight  feet  above  the 
ground.  When  this  frame  is  ready,  which  can  be  erected  in 
some  two  or  three  hours,  the  assistance  of  five  or  six  men 
will  be  required  to  raise  the  hoptse. 

ITow  let  the  slibg  be  brought,  .  prepared  as  already  de- 
scribed, and  be  placed  under  the  horse's  bod}^  and  the  ropes 
carried  over  the  poles,  Avhich  should  be  about  six  feet  apart, 
and  so  braced  with  other  poles,  lashed  across  the  ends,  that 
they  can  not  be  drawn  together.  Let  one  man  stand  at  his 
head  and  another  at  his  tail,  and  at  least  two  on  each  side, 
to  lift,  and  one  at  the  end  of  each  rope  to  hold  all  that  is 
gained.  It  will  require  heavy  lifting  to  raise  him,  and  strong 
efforts  on  the  part  of  the  men  at  his  head  and  tail  to  keep 
him  from  pitching.  When  he  is  raised  part  way  up,  and  can 
begin  to  use  his  feet,  he  will  try  to  raise  himself,  and  a  strong 
pull  at  the  rope  will  quite  easily  bring  him  to  a  standing 
position.  He  will,  in  all  probability,  be  a  little  restive  for  a 
time,  and  try  to  get  away  from  his  fastenings,  but  must  be 
held  and  made  fast  by  a  strong  halter  in  front,  and  a  bar 
firmly  fixed  behind.  ^  roof  must  be  made  to  protect  him 
from  the  weather,  and  a  stand  fixed  in  front,  with  a  box  on 
it  for  him  to  feed  in.  Ditches  should  be  dug  around  to 
carry  the  water  away  from  his  place  of  standing,  and  keep  it 
dry. 

.Another  arrangement  can  be  made  when  the  frame  and 


FKACTUKES.  581 

sling  can  not  easily  be  procured  and  made.     It  is  what  we 
shall  call  the 

PEN.     (See  Colt  Founder.) 

When  all  these  arrangements  are  completed,  we  are  now 
ready  for  the  operation  of 

SETTING   THE   BONES. 

When  the  fracture  is  a  compound  one,  and  the  bones  are 
displaced,  the  setting  should  take  place  before  he  is  raised  to 
his  feet.  The  leg  should  be  wet  for  some  time  previous  in 
hot,  soapy  water.  Cloths  applied  in  the  hot  water  may  be 
wrapped  around  the  wound,  and  the  water  then  turned  on 
for  twenty  minutes.  A  rope  must  be  fastened  to  his  foot  and 
carried  around  a  post  or  some  fast  body,  and  the  leg  gradu- 
ally pulled  until  the  bones  come  in  place  again.  This  can  be 
told  by  a  gentle  pressure  of  the  hand.  The  wet  cloths  should 
now  be  removed,  and  if  the  bones  are  all  right,  the  leg  may 
be  rubbed  with  the  hand  until  it  is  dry.  This  may  be  done 
by  one  person  while  ihe  others  are  preparing  the  bandages. 
These  should  be  strips  of  strong  cloth  three  inches  wide,  and 
dipped  in  a  warm  adhesive  mixture,  made  by  melting  equal 
parts  of  burgundy  pitch,  beeswax,  and  tallow.  Begin  to 
wind  the  strips  some  distance  below  the  fracture,  letting  the 
end  turn  up  the  leg  four  or  five  inches,  and  then  wind  over 
this  with  the  bandage  to  hold  the  end  fast.  Place  some  cot- 
ton padding  over  the  fracture,  and  wind  the  bandage  tightly 
over  this.  Let  the  strips  lap  about  an  inch  in  each  winding, 
and  extend  as  far  above  the  fracture  as  below.  If  the  frac- 
ture is  a  very  bad  one,  splints  of  green  wood,  bent  to  suit  the 
shape  of  the  leg,  and  so  as  not  to  press  heavily  upon  the 
wound,  may  be  bound  on  with  some  more  of  the  adhesive 
bandages.  Two  pieces  of  soft  wood,  of  consideiable  thick- 
ness, may  be  hollowed  out  so  as  not  to  press  upon  the  wound, 
and  the  ends  shaved  down  thin  to  fit  the  leg,  and  then  wound 
with  the  adhesive  strips.  All  this  should  be  done  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  the  leg  relieved  from  the  ropes. 


''> 


68^  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


TREATMENT   OF   THE   WOUND. 

The  leg  should  be  bathed  with  the  hot  golden  seal  and 
salt  and  water  mixture,  every  few  hours,  during  the  first  two 
or  three  days,  and  occasionally  afterward. 

If  the  fracture  is  above  the  knee  or  hock-joint,  or  if  both 
bones  are  broken  below  either  of  these  joints,  we  should  ad- 
vise, if  the  situation  of  the  horse  can  be  made  at  all  pleasant, 
to  let  him  remain  on  his  side  for  two  weeks.  The  frame  may 
be  erected  to  raise  him ;  and,  by  all  means,  a  shelter  should  be 
made  over  him  to  keep  off  the  sun  and  rain.  But  it  may  be 
dangerous  to  raise  the  horse  with  a  badly  broken  leg ;  and 
then  it  can  not  be  set  as  well  while  standing  as  when  he  is 
on  his  side.  If,  in  his  lying  position,  the  broken  leg  is  the 
upper  one,  not  much  need  be  done  to  fix  a  support.  Some 
bundles  of  straw  may  be  laid  so  that  the  foot  can  rest  upon 
them.  If  it  is  the  under  leg,  the  ground  should  be  hol- 
lowed out  under  the  fracture,  and  some  straw  placed  under 
the  wounded  part  for  it  to  rest  upon.  Examinations  should 
be  made  to  ascertain  if  the  leg  is  swelling  so  as  not  to  make 
the  bandages  too  tight.  If  too  tight,  they  must  be  loosened. 
This  should  be  done  only  in  extreme  cases,  and  will  readily 
be  discovered  by  the  indications  of  suffering  that  the  patient 
exhibits.  If  proper  attention  has  been  paid  to  bathing  his 
leg,  this  will  not  be  necessary.  If  the  accident  should  hap- 
pen in  the  winter,  by  all  means  get  the  horse  into  the  barn 
or  stable.  His  fractured  leg  may  be  temporarily  bandaged 
and  splinted,  and  then  the  animal  gently  moved  on  to  a  low 
sled,  and  thus  drawn  into  the  barn  or  stable,  where  he  will 
be  warm  and  comfortable.  If  he  is  still  on  his  feet,  he  may 
be  led  into  his  stall,  and  all  the  operations  of  setting  and  after 
attentions  be  better  paid  him  here  than  anywhere  else. 

If  the  bones  are  not  displaced,  and  the  leg  is  not  bent,  the 
simple  adhesive  bandage  is  all  that  will  be  needed.  In  cases 
of  this  kind,  the  bandages  may  be  taken  off  on  the  third  day, 
and  re-dipped  in  the  adhesive  mixture  and  bound  on  again. 

Attention  should  also  be  given  to  his  feed.    He  will  want 


FRACTUKES.  533 

something  to  eat,  of  course,  and  if  he  is  lying  down  he  will 
require  some  assistance  to  hold  his  head  up.  His  usual  feed 
may  be  given  him — chopped  feed,  hay,  or  oats,  but  not  any 
corn.     A  bran-mash  occasionally  would  be  excellent. 

THE  TIME   TO   HEAL.  • 

This  will  vary  in  different  cases,  and  be  influenced  much 
by  the  previous  condition  of  the  horse.  If  he  is  in  low  con- 
dition and  feverish,  he  will  most  probably  die.  The  fever  in 
the  system  will  settle  in  the  wound  and  produce  death.  If  in 
good  health  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  the  time  of  his  re- 
covery will  be  in  proportion  to  the  badness  of  the  fracture. 
If  the  bone  of  either  leg  be  broken  above  the  knee  or  hock- 
joint  it  will  take  a  month  longer  for  it  to  heal  than  if  below ; 
and  a  compound  fracture,  where  the  bone  is  brokeh  entirely 
off  and  displaced,  will  require  three  times  the  length  of  time 
to  heal  as  simple  fracture.  It  will  take  from  one  to  three 
months  for  either  case  to  heal,  and  sometimes  longer  before 
the  horse  is  able  to  go  to  work.  He  will  use  his  limb  just 
as  soon  as  he  is  able  to  do  so,  and  he  is  the  best  judge  of 
his  ability  to  use  it. 


I 


534  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


»  CHAPTER  XXn. 

SHOEING. 

The  horse  was  subject  to  a  sad  necessity  when  shoes  were 
first  put  on  his  feet,  which  was  probably  not  done  previous 
•  to   the   twelfth  or   thirteenth  century. 

Before  this  he  had  no  protection  for 
his  feet,  as  he  needed  none,  except  that 
which  the  all-wise  Creator  had  given — 
the  hard,  horny  hoof.  This,  in  a  nat- 
ural age  of  the  world,  answered  every 
purpose;  but  now,  in  this  artificial  age 
of  unyielding,  fiinty  roads,  an  artificial  protection  seems  in- 
dispensable. 

Perhaps  no  greater  curse  has  ever  been  inflicted  upon  the 
horse  than  this  of  shoeing.  His  feet  are  injured — often 
ruined — by  it.  Moreover,  it  frequently  causes  diseases  which 
ruin  not  only  the  foot,  but  other  and  more  vital  parts.  But 
although  the  evils  of  shoeing  are  many,  and  the  sufierings 
of  the  horse  often  great  in  consequence,  the  world's  advan- 
tage obviously  requires  this  submission  of  the  brute  to  the 
use  of  man.  Horses,  if  used  at  all  on  our  present  roads, 
must  be  shod.  All  that  we  hope  to  do,  in  writing  on  this 
subject,  is  to  prevent,  as  far  as  possible,  the  unnecessary  in- 
fliction of  these  evils  upon  the  horse,  by  pointing  out  wherein 
they  exist,  and  recommending  a  better  practice  than  is  usual 
in  the  art  of  shoeing. 

The  subject,  horse-shoeing,  has  been  discussed  for  ages, 
and  hundreds  have  been  the  inventions  for  the  improvement 
of  the  shoe ;  yet  but  little  progress  has  been  made,  and  the 
subject  is  scarcely  better  understood  than  it  was  a  century 
ago.    But,  indeed,  the  prevalent  evils  in  the  practice  of 


SHOEING.  535 

shoeing  arise  not  so  much  from  want  of  knowledge,  as  from 
carelessness  and  indifference  on  the  part  of  workmen.  In  a 
work  like  this,  a  few  practical  suggestions  as  to  the  best 
mode  of  preparing  the  foot  and  putting  on  the  shoe  may 
not  be  out  of  place.  We  shall  introduce  the  subject  by  a 
quotation  from  Youatt,  as  we  could  give  nothing  better,  and 
our  views  would  necessarily  run  somewhat  in  the  same  chan- 
nel, but  shall  afterward  give  such  practical  directions  as  are 
adapted  to  our  own  country  and  the  conditions  and  require- 
ments of  the  horse  with  us. 

"  The  period  when  the  shoe  began  to  be  nailed  to  the  foot 
of  the  horse  is  uncertain.  William  the  Conqueror  introduced 
the  custom  into  our  country. 

"We  have  seen,  in  the  progress  of  our  inquiry,  that  while 
it  affords  the  foot  of  the  horse  that  defense,  which  seems 
now  to  be  necessary,  against  the  destructive  effects  of  our 
artificial  and  flinty  roads,  it  has  entailed  upon  the  animal 
some  evils.  It  has  limited  or  destroyed  the  beautiful  ex- 
pansibility of  the  lower  part  of  the  foot ;  it  has  led  to  con- 
traction, although  that  contraction  has  not  always  been  ac- 
companied by  lameness.  In  the  most  careful  fixing  of  the 
best  shoe,  and  in  the  careless  manufacture  and  setting  on  of 
the  bad  one,  irreparable  injury  has  occasionally  been  done  to 
the  horse. 

"  We  will  first  attend  to  the  preparation  of  the  foot  for  the 
shoe,  for  more  than  is  generally  imagined  of  its  comfort  to 
the  horse  and  its  safety  to  the  rider  depends  on  this.  If  the 
master  would  generally  accompany  the  horse  to  the  forge, 
more  expense  to  himself  and  punishment  to  the  horse  would 
be  spared  than,  perhaps,  he  would  think  possible — provided 
he  will  take  the  pains  to  understand  the  matter  himself; 
otherwise,  he  had  better  not  interfere. 

"The  old  shoe  must  first  be  taken  off*.  We  have  some- 
thing to  observe  even  here.  The  shoe  was  retained  on  the 
foot  by  the  ends  of  the  nails  being  twisted  off",  turned  down, 
and  clenched.  These  clenches  should  be  first  raised — which 
the  smith  seldom  takes  the  trouble  thoroughly  to  do ;  but, 


536  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

after  looking  carelessly  round  the  crust,  and  loosening  one 
or  two  of  the  clenches,  he  takes  hold  first  of  one  heel  of  the 
shoe  and  then  of  the  other,  and  by  a  violent  wrench,  sep- 
arates them  from  the  foot;  then,  by  means  of  a  third  wrench, 
applied  to  the  middle  of  the  shoe,  he  tears  it  off.  By  these 
means  he  must  enlarge  every  nail-hole,  and  weaken  the 
future  stead}^  hold  of  the  shoe,  and  sometimes  tear  off 
pieces  of  the  crust  and  otherwise  injure  the  foot.  The  horse 
generally  shows  by  his  flinching  that  he  suffers  from  the 
violence  with  which  this  preliminary  operation  too  often  is 
performed.  The  clenches  should  always  be  raised  or  filed 
off';  and  where  the  foot  is  tender,  or  the  horse  is  to  be  ex- 
amined for  lameness,  each  nail  should  partly  be  punched  out. 
According  to  the  common  system  of  procedure,  many  a  stub 
is  left  in  the  crust— the  source  of  future  annoyance. 

"  The  shoe  having  been  removed,  the  smith  proceeds  to  rasp 
the  edges  of  the  crust.  Let  not  the  bystander  object  to  the 
apparent  violence  which  he  uses,  or  fear  that  the  foot  will 
suffer.  It  is  the  only  means  that  he  has  to  detect  whether 
any  stubs  remain  in  the  nail-holes,  and  it  is  the  most  con- 
venient method  of  removing  that  portion  of  the  crust  into 
which  dust  and  gravel  have  insinuated  themselves. 

"Next  comes  the  important  process  of  paring  out,  with 
regard  to  which  it  is  almost  impossible  to  lay  down  any 
specific  rules.  This,  however,  is  undoubted,  that  far  more 
injury  has  been  done  by  the  neglect  of  paring  than  by  car- 
rying it  to  too  great  an  extent.  The  art  of  paring  is  a  work 
of  much  more  labor  than  the  proprietor  of  a  horse  often 
imagines.  The  smith,  except  he  is  overlooked,  will  fre- 
quently give  himself  as  little  trouble  about  it  as  he  can ;  and 
that  portion  of  the  horn  which,  in  the  unshod  foot,  would 
be  worn  away  by  contact  with  the  ground,  is  suffered  to  ac- 
cumulate month  after  month,  until  the  elasticity  of  the  sole 
is  destroyed,  and  it  can  no  longer  descend;  and  its  other 
functions  are  impeded,  and  foundation  is  laid  for  corn  and 
contraction,  and  navicular  disease  and  inflammation.  That 
portion  of  the  horn  should  be  left  on  the  foot,  which  will 


SHOEING.  537 

defend  the  internal  parts  from  being  bruised,  and  yet  saft'er 
the  external  sole  to  descend.  How  is  this  to  be  ascertained? 
The  strong  pressure  of  the  thumb  of  the  smith  will  be  the 
best  guide.  The  butteris,  that  most  destructive  of  all  instru- 
ments, being,  except  on  very  particular  occasions,  banished 
from  every  respectable  forge,  the  smith  sets  to  work  with 
his  drawing-knife,  and  removes  t^ie  growth  of  horn,  until 
the  sole  will  yield,  although  in  the  slightest  possible  degree, 
to  the  strong  pressure  of  the  thumbs.  The  proper  thickness 
of  horn  will  then  remain. 

*'  If  the  foot  has  been  previously  neglected,  and  the  horn  is 
become  very  hard,  the  owner  must  not  object  if  the  smith 
resorts  to  other  means  to  soften  it  a  little,  and  takes  one  of 
his  flat  irons,  and,  having  heated  it,  draws  it  over  the  sole, 
and  keeps  it  a  little  while  in  contact  with  the  foot.  When 
the  sole  is  really  thick,  this  rude  and  apparently  barbarous 
method  can  do  no  harm ;  but  it  should  never  be  permitted 
with  the  sole  that  is  regularly  pared  out.  The  quantity  of 
horn  to  be  removed,  in  order  to  leave  the  proper  degree  of 
thickness,  will  vary  with  difterent  feet.  From  the  strong  foot 
a  great  deal  must  be  taken ;  from  the  concave  foot  the  horn 
may  be  removed,  until  the  sole  will  yield  to  a  moderate 
pressure ;  from  the  flat>  foot  little  needs  to  be  pared ;  while 
the  pummiced  foot  should  be  deprived  of  nothing  but  the 
ragged  parts. 

"  The  paring  being  nearly  completed,  the  knife  and  the  rasp 
of  the  smith  must  be  a  little  watched,  or  he  will  reduce  the 
crust  to  a  level  with  the  sole,  and  thus  endanger  the  bruis- 
ing of  it  by  its  pressure  on  the  edge  of  the  seating.  The 
crust  should  be  reduced  to  a  perfect  level  all  around,  but 
left  a  little  higher  than  the  sole. 

"The  heels  will  require  considerable  attention.  From  the 
stress  which  is  thrown  on  the  inner  heel,  and  from  the 
weakness  of  the  quarter  there,  the  horn  usually  wears  away 
considerably  faster  than  it  would  on  the  outer  one ;  and  if 
an  equal  portion  of  horn  were  pared  from  it,  it  would  be 
left  lower  than  the  outer  heel.    The  smith  should,  therefore, 


538  AMEEICAN  FARMEE'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

accommodate  his  paring  to  the  comparative  wear  o.  the 
heels,  and  be  exceedingly  careful  to  leave  them  precisely 
level. 

"  If  the  reader  will  recollect  what  has  been  said  of  the  in- 
tention and  action  of  the  bars,  he  will  readily  perceive  that 
the  smith  should  be  checked  in  his  almost  universal  fond- 
ness for  opening  the  hqels,  or,  more  truly,  removing  that 
which  is  the  main  impediment  to  contraction.  The  portion 
of  the  heels  between  the  inflexion  of  the  bar  and  the  frog 
should  scarcely  be  touched — at  least  the  ragged  and  detached 
parts  alone  should  be  cut  away.  The  foot  may  not  look  so 
fair  and  open,  but  it  will  last  longer  without  contraction. 

"The  bar,  likewise,  should  be  left  fully  prominent,  not  only 
at  its  first  inflexion,  but  as  it  runs  down  the  side  of  the  frog. 
The  heel  of  the  shoe  is  designed  to  rest  partly  on  the  heel  of 
the  foot  and  partly  on  the  bar,  for  reasons  that  have  already 
been  stated.  If  the  bar  is  weak,  the  growth  of  it  should  be 
encouraged;  and  it  should  be  scarcely  touched  when  the 
horse  is  shod,  unless  it  has  attained  a  level  with  the  crust. 
The  reader  will  recollect  the  observation  which  has  already 
been  made,  that  the  destruction  of  the  bars  not  only  leads 
to  contraction  by  removing  the  grand  impediment  to  it,  but 
by  adding  a  still  more  powerful  cause  in  the  slanting  di- 
rection which  is  given  to  the  bearing  of  the  heels  when  the 
bar  does  not  contribute  to  the  support  of  the  weight. 

"  It  will  also  be  apparent  that  the  horn  between  the  crust 
and  the  bar  should  be  carefully  pared  out.  Every  horseman 
has  observed  tlie  relief  which  is  given  to  the  animal  lame 
with  corns  when  this  angle  is  well  thinned!  This  relief, 
however,  is  often  but  temporary,  for  when  the  horn  grows 
again,  and  the  shoe  presses  upon  it,  the  torture  of  the  horse 
is  renewed. 

"The  degree  of  paring  to  which  the  frog  must  be  subjected 
will  depend  on  its  prominence  and  on  the  shape  of  the  foot. 
The  principle  has  already  been  stated  that  it  must  be  left  so 
far  projecting  and  prominent  that  it  shall  be  just  within  and 
above  the  lower  surface  of  the  shoe;  it  will  then  descend 


SHOEING.  539 

with  the  sole  sufficiently  to  discharge  the  functions  that 
have  been  attributed  to  it.  If  it  is  lower,  it  will  be  bruised 
and  injured ;  if  it  is  higher,  it  can  not  come  in  contact  with 
the  ground,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  do  its  duty.  The  rag- 
ged parts  must  be  removed,  and  especially  those  occasioned 
by  thrush,  but  the  degree  of  paring  must  depend  entirely  on 
the  principle  just  stated. 

"  It  appears,  then,  that  the  office  of  the  smith  requires  some 
skill  and  judgment,  in  order  to  be  properly  discharged;  and 
the  proprietor  of  horses  will  find  it  to  his  interest  to  occa- 
sionally visit  the  forge,  and  complain  of  the  careless,  or  idle, 
or  obstinate  fellow,  while  he  rewards,  by  some  trifling  gra- 
tuity, the  expert  and  diligent  workman.  He  should  like- 
wise remember  that  a  great  deal  more  depends  on  the  par- 
ing out  of  the  foot  than  on  the  construction  of  -the  shoe ; 
that  few  shoes,  except  they  press  upon  the  sole  or  are  made 
outrageously  bad,  will  lame  the  horse ;  but  that  he  may  be 
very  easily  lamed  from  ignorant  and  improper  paring  out 
of  the  foot. 

THE   PUTTING   ON   THE    SHOE. 

"  The  foot  being  thus  prepared,  the  smith  looks  about  for  a 
shoe.  He  should  select  one  that  as  nearly  fits  the  foot  as 
possible,  or  may  be  easily  altered  to  the  foot.  He  will  some- 
times, and  especially  if  he  is  an  idle,  reckless  fellow,  care 
very  little  about  this,  for  he  can  easily  alter  the  foot  to  the 
shoe.  The  toe-knife  is  a  very  convenient  instrument  for 
him,  and  plenty  of  horn  can  be  struck  off  with  it,  or  removed 
by  the  rasp,  in  order  to  make  the  foot  as  small  as  the  shoe ; 
while  he  cares  little,  although  by  this  destructive  method  the 
crust  is  materially  thinned  where  it  should  receive  the  nail, 
and  the  danger  of  puncture  and  of  pressure  upon  the  sole  is 
increased;  and  a  foot  so  artificially  diminished  in  size  will 
soon  grow  over  the  shoe,  to  the  hazard  of  considerable  or 
permanent  lameness. 

"  While  the  horse  is  traveling,  dirt  and  gravel  are  apt  to 
insinuate  themselves  between  the  web  of  the  foot  and  the 
sole.    If  the  shoe  were  flat,  they  would  be  permanently  re- 


540  AMEEICAN  FAEMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

tained  there,  and  would  bruise  the  sole  and  be  productive 
of  injury;  but  when  the  shoe  is  properly  beveled  off,  it  is 
scarcely  possible  for  them  to  remain.  They  must  be  shaken 
out  almost  every  time  that  the  foot  comes  in  contact  with 
the  ground. 

"  The  web  of  the  shoe  is  likewise  of  that  thickness  that 
when  the  foot  is  properly  pared,  the  prominent  part  of  the 
frog  shall  lie  just  within  and  above  its  ground  surface,  so  that 
in  the  descent  of  the  sole  the  frog  shall  come  sufficiently  on 
the  ground  to  enable  it  to  act  as  a  wedge,  and  so  expand  the 
quarters,  while  it  is  defended  from  the  wear  and  injury  it 
would  receive  if  it  come  on  the  ground  with  the  first  and 
full  shock  of  the  weight.  \ 

"  The  nail-holes  are,  on  the  ground  side,  placed  so  near  the 
outer  edge  of  the  shoe  as  they  can  safely  be,  and  brought 
out  near  the  inner  edge  of  the  seating.  The  nails  thus  take 
the  direction  inward,  resembling  that  of  the  crust  itself,  and 
have  firmer  hold,  while  the  strain  upon  them  in  the  common 
shoe  is  altogether  prevented ;  and  the  weight  of  the  horse 
being  thrown  on  a  flat  surface,  contraction  is  not  so  likely 
to  be  produced. 

"  The  smith  sometimes  objects  to  the  use  of  this  shoe  on 
account  of  its  not  being  so  easily  formed  as  one  composed 
of  a  bar  of  iron,  either  flat  or  a  little  beveled.  It  likewise 
occupies  more  time  in  forging ;  but  these  objections  would 
vanish  when  the  owner  of  the  horse  declared  that  he  would 
have  him  shod  elsewhere,  or  when  he  consented — as  in  justice 
he  should — to  pay  somewhat  more  for  a  shoe  that  required 
better  workmanship  and  a  longer  time  in  construction. 

"  It  is  expedient  not  only  that  the  foot  and  ground  surface 
of  the  shoe  should  be  most  accurately  level,  but  that  the  crust 
should  be  exactly  smoothed  and  fitted  to  the  shoe.  Much 
skill  and  time  are  necessary  to  do  this  perfectly  with  the 
drawing-knife.  The  smith  has  adopted  a  method  of  more 
quickly  and  more  accurately  adapting  the  shoe  to  the  foot. 
He  pares  the  crust  as  level  as  he  can,  and  then  he  brings  the 
shoe  to  a  heat,  somewhat  below  a  red  heat,  and  applies  it  to 


SHOEING.  541 

the  foot,  and  detects  any  little  elevations  by  the  deep  color 
of  the  burned  horn.  This  practice  has  been  much  inveighed 
against,  but  it  is  the  abuse  and  not  the  use  of  the  thing 
which  is  to  be  condemned.  If  the  shoe  is  not  too  hot,  nor 
held  too  long  on  the  foot,  an  accuracy  of  adjustment  is  thus 
obtained  which  the  knife  would  be  long  in  producing,  or 
would  not  produce  at  all.  If,  however,  the  shoe  is  made  to 
burn  its  way  to  its  seat,  with  little  or  no  previous  prepara- 
tion of  the  foot,  the  heat  must  be  injurious  both  to  the  sen- 
sible and  insensible  parts  of  the  foot. 

"The  heels  of  the  shoe  should  be  examined  as  to  their 
proper  width.  Whatever  is  the  custom  of  shoeing  the  horses 
of  dealers,  and  the  too  prevalent  practice  in  the  metropolis 
of  giving  the  foot  an  open  appearance,  although  the  poste- 
rior part  of  it  is  thereby  exposed  to  injury,  nothing  is  more 
certain  than  that,  in  the  horse  destined  for  road-work,  the 
heels,  and  particularly  the  seat  of  corns,  can  scarcely  be  too 
well  covered.  Part  of  the  shoe  projecting  externally  can  be 
of  no  possible  good,  but  will  prove  an  occasional  source  of 
mischief,  and  especially  in  a  heavy  country.  A  shoe  the  web 
of  which  projects  inward  so  far  as  it  can  without  touching  the 
frog,  affords  protection  to  the  angle  between  the  bars  and  crust. 

"  Of  the  manner  of  attaching  the  shoe  to  the  foot  the  own^r 
can  scarcely  be  a  competent  judge ;  he  can  only  take  care  that 
the  shoe  itself  shall  not  be  heavier  than  the  work  requires; 
that  for  work  a  little  hard  the  shoe  shall  still  be  light,  with 
a  bit  of  steel  welded  into  the  toe ;  that  the  nails  shall  be  as 
small  and  as  few  and  as  far  from  the  heels  as  may  be  con- 
sistent with  the  security  of  the  shoe ;  and  that  for  light  work, 
at  least,  the  shoe  shall  not  be  driven  on  so  closely  and  firmly 
as  is  often  done,  nor  the  points  of  the  nails  be  brought  out 
so  high  up  as  is  generally  practiced. 

CALKINS. 

"  There  are  few  cases  in  which  the  use  of  calkins  (a  turning 
up  or  elevation  of  the  heel)  can  be  admissible  in  the  fore-feet, 
except  in  frosty  weather,  when  it  may,  in  some  degree,  pre- 


'H-' 


542  AMEEICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

vent  unpleasant  or  dangerous  slipping.  If,  however,  calking 
are  used,  the}^  should  be  placed  on  both  sides.  If  the  outer 
heel  only  is  raised  with  the  calkin,  as  is  too  often  the  case, 
the  weight  can  not  be  thrown  evenly  on  the  foot,  and  undue 
straining  and  injury  of  some  part  of  the  foot  or  leg  must  be 
the  necessary  consequence.  Few  things  deserve  more  the 
attention  of  the  horseman  than  this  most  absurd  and  inju- 
rious of  all  the  practices  of  the  forge.  One  quarter  of  an 
hour's  walking,  with  one  side  of  the  shoe  or  boot  raised  con- 
siderably above  the  other,  will  painfully  convince  us  of  what 
the  horse  must  suffer  from  this  too  common  method  of  shoe- 
ing. It  can  not  be  excused  even  in  the  hunting  shoe.  If 
the  horse  is  ridden  far  to  cover,  or  galloped  over  hard  and 
flinty  ground,  he  will  inevitably  suffer  from  this  unequal  dis- 
tribution of  the  weight.  If  the  calkin  is  put  on  the  outer 
heel,  in  order  to  prevent  the  horse  from  slipping,  either  the 
horn  of  that  heel  should  be  lowered  to  a  corresponding  de- 
gree, or  the  other  heel  of  the  shoe  should  be  raised  to  the 
same  level  by  a  gradual  thickening.  Of  the  use  of  the  calk- 
ins in  the  hinder  foot  we  shall  presently  speak. 

CLIPS. 

.*'  These  are  portions  of  the  upper  edge  of  the  shoe  ham- 
mered out  and  turned  up  so  as  to  embrace  the  lower  part 
of  the  crust,  and  which  is  usually  pared  out  a  little  in  order 
to  receive  the  clip.  They  are  very  useful,  as  more  securely 
attaching  the  shoe  to  the  foot,  and  relieving  the  crust  from 
that  stress  upon  the  nails  which  would  otherwise  be  injuri- 
ous. A  clip  at  the  toe  is  almost  necessary  in  every  draught 
horse,  and  absolutely  so  in  the  horse  of  heavy  draught,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  shoe  from  being  loosened  or  torn  off"  by 
the  pressure  which  is  thrown  upon  the  toe  in  the  act  of 
standing.  A  clip  on  the  outside  of  each  shoe,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  quarters,  will  give  security  to  it.  Clips  are  like- 
wise necessary  on  the  shoes  of  all  heavy  horses,  and  of  all 
others  who  are  disposed  to  stamp  or  violently  paw  with  their 
feet,  and  thus  incur  the  danger  of  displacing  the  shoe ;  but 


SHOEING.  643 

they  are  evils,  inasmuch  as  they  press  upon  the  crust  as  it 
grows  down,  and  they  should  only  be  used  when  circum- 
stances absolutely  require  them.  In  the  hunter's  shoe  they 
are  not  required  at  the  sides.     One  at  the  toe  is  sufficient. 

THE   HINDER   SHOE. 

**  In  forming  the  hinder  shoes,  it  should  be  remembered  that 
the  hind  limbs  are  the  principal  instruments  in  progression, 
and  that  in  every  act  of  progression,  except  the  walk,  the 
toe  is  the  point  on  which  the  whole  frame  of  the  animal 
turns,  and  from  which  it  is  propelled.  This  part,  then, 
should  be  strengthened  as  much  as  possible,  and,  therefore, 
the  hinder  shoes  are  made  broader  at  the  toe  than  the  fore 
ones.  Another  good  effect  is  produced  by  this,  that  the 
hinder  foot  being  shortened,  there  is  less  ^  danger  of  over- 
reaching or  forging,  and  especially  if  the  shoe  is  wider  on  the 
foot  surface  than  on  the  ground  one.  The  shoe  is  thus  made 
to  slope  inward,  and  is  a  little  within  the  toe  of  the  crust. 

The  shape  of^the  hinder  foot  is  somewhat  different  from 
that  of  the  fore- foot.  It  is  straighter  in  the  quarter,  and  the 
shoe  must  have  the  same  form.  For  carriage  and  draught 
horses,  generally,  calkins  may  be  put  on  the  heels,  because 
the  animal  will  thus  be  enabled  to  dig  his  toe  more  firmly 
into  the  ground  and  urge  himself  forward,  and  throw  his 
weight  into  the  collar  with  greater  advantage ;  but  the  calk- 
ins must  not  be  too  high,  and  they  must  be  of  an  equal 
height  on  each  heel;  otherwise,  as  has  been  stated  with  re- 
gard to  the  fore-feet,  the  weight  will  not  be  fairly  distrib- 
uted over  the  foot,  and  some  part  of  the  foot  will  materially 
suffer.  The  nails  in  the  hinder  shoe  may  be  placed  nearer 
to  the  heel  than  in  the  fore  shoe,  because,  from  the  compar- 
atively little  weight  and  concussion  thrown  on  the  hinder 
feet,  there  is  not  so  much  danger  of  contraction. 

DIFFERENT   KINDS   OF   SHOES.  .     ^^ 

The  following  cut  represente  the  proper  form  of  shoe  for 
the  off  fore-foot,  showing  both  the  upper  and  under  surfaces : 


544 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 
A 


CONCAVE  SEATED  ENGLISH  SHOE  FOB  OFF  FOBE-FOOT,  SHOWING  BOTH  SUBFACE3 


.       SHOEING.  545 

In  Fig.  1,  A  is  the  clip  at  the  toe;  B^,  the  outer  .quarter;  ^2  ^he  inner  quarter; 
C*,  the  outer  heel ;  (7^,  the  inner  heel.  The  dark  shade  represents  the  con- 
cave surface  to  lighten  the  shoe  and  keep  off  pressure  from  the  sole;  and 
the  lighter  shading  the  flat  surface  for  the  crust  of  the  hoof  to  bear  upon. 

In  Fig.  2,  A  is  the  toe  turned  up  out  of  the  line  of  wear;  B^,  the  outer,  and  B^, 
the  inner  quarter ;  C^  the  out^r,  and  C*,  the  inner  heel ;  the  light  shade 
representing  the  ground  surface  of  the  web,  as  wide  at  the  heels  as  it  is 
at  the  toe;  the  dark  line  representing  the  fuller  carried  back  no  further 
than  is  required  by  the  nails,  so  that  the  shoe  may  not  be  weakened  un- 
necessarily. 

This  should  never  be  made  wider  at  the  heels  than  the 
foot  it  is  intended  for,  but  should  curve  inward  exactly  to 
correspond  on  the  internal  surface  with  the  crust  of  the  hoof. 
The  inner  half  should  be  forged  of  concave  shape,  making 
the  inner  edge  much  thinner  than  the  outer,  so  as  to  keep 
all  pressure  off  the  sole  of  the  foot,  and  prevent  pieces  of 
gravel,  which  get  under  the  shoe,  from  doing  injury  to  the 
foot.  The  web  of  the  shoe  for  an  ordinary  sized  horse 
should  be  about  an  inch  wide,  but  varying  to  the  conforma- 
tion of  the  foot  and  use  of  the  horse — always  narrower, 
however,  at  the  heel  than  at  the  quarter.  The  shoe  should 
be  attached  by  a  few  nails  and  near  the  toe.-  Three  holes 
on  the  inside  toe  and  four  on  the  outside  quarter,  as  shown 
in  the  cut,  are  usually  sufficient  to  secure  the  shoe ;  and  for 
light  horses,  one  or  two  can  be  dispensed  with  if  the  shoe  is 
not  too  long  at  the  heel  and  allowed  to  overlap  it.  The  toe 
of  the  shoe  should  be  turned  up  in  a  clip,  but  not  enough 
to  interfere  with  the  nail -holes  there.  Of  course  calks 
should  be  added  when  the  roads  are  slippery,  and  they 
should  be  of  uniform  height  at  heel  and  toe.  The  one  at  the 
toe  should  be  made  of  steel  and  welded  into  the  shoe. 

The  following  cut  represents  the  bar  shoe,  of  which 
Walsh  says  in  his  highly  scientific  work :  "  It  is  never  used 
in  this  country  (England)  for  sound  feet,  but  it  is  a  great 
pity  that  some  modification  of  it  can  not  be  introduced,  so 
as  to  obviate  all  the  objections  which  apply  to  the  ordinary 
shoe.  It  consists  of  a  complete  jing  of  iron,  similar  in  shape 
to  the  ordinary  shoe,  so  far  as  the  back  of  the  quarters,  but 
35 


1^ 


546  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

from  that  part  bending  inward  to  meet  the  wob  of  the  op- 
posite side  with  which.it  is  welded. 


BAR  8H0K  FOR  OFF  FORE-FOOT-FITTED,  BUT  NOT  NAILED  ON. 

"It  is  now  used  for  the  purposes  exactly  the  reverse  of 
each  other.  In  the  one  case,  the  foot  is  so  prepared  that  the 
frog  shall  touch  the  shoe,  while  the  heels  are  quite  free,  and 
are,  thereby,  relieved  from  all  pressure.  In  the  other,  the  frog 
does  not  come  in  contact  with  the  shoe,  which  is  solely  sup- 
ported by  the  crust  and  the  bars.  It  may  thus  be  made  to 
defend  either  the  frog  or  the  heels,  whichever  may  be  in 
fault,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  invaluable  aids  to  veterinary 
surgery.  Should  the  frog  be  more  prominent  than  the  crust, 
the  shoe  may  be  made  thin  in  proportion,  at  the  part  where 
it  covers  the  former,  and  by  this  means  it  may  be  made  ex- 
actly to  fit  the  two  when  it  is  desired  to  divide  the  weight 
between  them.  There  are  many  weak-heeled  harness  horses 
which  would  do  their  work. much  better  if  they  were  per- 


SHOEING.  547 

manentlj^  shod  in  this  way,  and  but  for  the  danger  of  pulling 
these  shoes  off,  and  the  little  hold  which  they  take  of  the 
ground,  hacks  might  also  sometimes  be  shod  advantageously 
with  the  bar  shoe.  It  is  unsightly,  certainly,  and  at  pres- 
ent marks  the  existence  of  some  disorder,  and  for  these 
reasons  it  is  now  seldom  employed,  except  on  compulsion." 

We  will  now  conclude  our  extract  from  Youatt,  and  then 
proceed  with  our  own  comments. 

"  The  shoe  must  vary  in  substance  and  weight  with  the 
kind  of  foot  and  the  nature  of  the  work.  A  weak  foot 
should  never  wear  a  heavy  shoe,  nor  any  foot  a  shoe  that 
will  last  longer  than  a  month.  Here,  perhaps,  we  may  be 
permitted  to  caution  the  horse  proprietor  against  having  his. 
cattle  shod  by  contract,  unless  he  binds  down  his  farrier  or 
veterinary  surgeon  to  remove  the  shoes  once  at  leacst  in  every 
month ;  for  if  the  contractor,  by  a  he^vy  shoe  and  a  little 
steel,  can  cause  five  or  six  weeks  to  intervene  between  the 
shoeings  he  will  do  so,  although  the  feet  of  the  horse  must 
necessarily  suffer.  The  shoe  should  never  be  heavier  than 
the  work  requires,  for  an  ounce  or  two  in  the  weight  of  the 
shoe  will  sadly  tell  at  the  end  of  a  hard  day's  work.  This 
is  acknowleged  in  the  hunting  shoe,  which  is  narrower  and 
lighter  than  that  of  the  hackney,  although  the  foot  of  the 
hackney  is  smaller  than  that  of  the  hunter.  It  is  more  de- 
cidedly acknowledged  in  the  racer,  who  wears  a  shoe  only 
sufficiently  thick  to  prevent  it  from  bending  when  it  is  used." 

The  above  directions  are  applicable  to  any  country,  and  can 
not  be  well  improved  upon  in  the  main,  but  we  must  differ 
in  some  respects  with  their  author,  as  will  hereafter  appear. 
^Smiths  are  generally  more  careful,  and  understand  their 
business  .  better  in.  this  country  than  is  above  represented. 
There  has  been  a  comniendable  spirit  of  improvement  among 
our  smiths  of  late  years  in  the  art  of  good  shoeing.  Some 
of  them  make  mistakes,  but  not  oftenel"  than  is  common  in 
other  departments  of  business.  Some  do  not  understand 
their  business,  but  of  these  there  are  not  many. 

To  shoe  a  horse  well  is  a  very  nice  operation.    There  is 


:*9' 


.• 


548  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

much  care  to  be  used  in  observing  the  quality  of  different  feet 
or  hoofs.  Every  horse  that  comes  to  the  shop  has  a  foot  of 
peculiar  texture  and  shape.  The  shoe  should  be  adapted  to 
these  varying  qualities,  and  also  to  the  size,  weight,  habit, 
etc.,  of  the  horse.  The  size  of  the  horse  must  be  taken  into 
special  consideration — small,  light  animals  by  no  means  re- 
quiring the  thick  and  heavy  shoes  suited  to  the  large  draught 
horse. 

A  hard,  flinty  hoof  does  not  require  so  wide  a  shoe  as  a 
soft,  pumiced  one.  It  is  a  fault  prevalent  among  smiths  of 
leaving  too  much  space  between  the  nails  in  the  front  part 
or  toe  of  the  shoe.  Shoes  stay  on  much  better  when  the 
space  here  is  small,  as  this  is  the  strongest  part  of  the  hoof. 

Winter  shoes  may  have  calks,  but  summer  shoes  should 
not.  The  summer  shoe  should  have  a  large  groove  for  the 
nails  to  imbed  their  heads  in,  and  the  heel  of  the  shoe  may 
be  made  somewhat  thicker,  so  as  to  rest  upon  the  ground 
when  the  foot  is  elevated  by  the  nails.  Horses  that  have 
tender  or  sore  feet  from  the  effect  of  corns  or  hoof-rot,  or 
both,  or  whose  hoofs  are  worn  down  on  turnpike  roads, 
should  have  a  strip  of  felt  cut  in  the  shape  of  the  shoe  and 
laid  under  it  before  nailing.  This  will  greatly  relieve  the 
pressure  of  the  shoe. 

PARINO  THE   HOOFS. 

The  usual  fault  in  paring  is  in  taking  off  too  much  at  the 
heel  and  not  enough  at  the  toe,  thus  throwing  the  foot  too 
far  back  and  causing  a  dangerous  strain  upon  the  coffin 
joint;  and  from  this  bad  practice  ring-bone,  foot-evil,  and 
navicular  disease  often  arise.  As  a  rule,  one-third  more 
should  be  pared  off  from  the  toe  than  from  the  heel,  as  the 
pressure  of  the  shoe  wears  the  heel  much  faster  than  the  toe. 
We  must  differ  somewhat  from  the  high  authority  of  our 
English  author  in  relation  to  paring  the  frog.  It  should  be 
pared  at  least  a  third  of  an  inch  lower  than  the  sides  of  the 
foot.  The  bars  which  hold  it  to  the  sides  of  the  heel  should 
not  be  cut.    The  shuttle-bone  lies  immediately  upon  the  frog, 


SHOEING.  549 

♦ 
and  when  the  latter  is  allowed  to  grow  down  so  as  to  rest 
upon  the  ground  an  injurious  pressure  is  brought  to  bear 
upon  this  bone,  and  its  connection  with  the  other  bones  and 
the  large  flexor  tendon  of  the  joint.  From  this  cause  serious 
diseases  have. arisen,  baffling  the  skill  of  the  best  veterinary 
physicians  to  detect  and  remedy. 

•      CHANGING  THE   SHOES. 

The  great  fault  in  all  this  matter  of  shoeing  is  one  for* 
which  the  farmer  is  chiefly  to  blame;  namely,  neglect  to 
change  the  shoes.  This  neglect  more  seriously  affects  young 
horses  than  older  ones,  as  the  feet  of  the  former  grow  faster, 
and  are  more  soft  and  tender;  but  any  horse's  hoof  soon 
grows  too  large  for  the  shoe,  and  after  a  time  extends  so 
much  that  the  nails  of  the  shoe  begin  to  draw  the  hoof  to- 
gether, and  from  this  cause  arises  a  majority  of  cases  of  con- 
traction of  the  hoof,  or  narrow  heel.  Besides,  the  water  so 
constantly  between  the  shoe  and  the  hoof  causes  the  shoe  to 
rust,  and  the  action  of  the  iron-rust,  thus  confined,  is  very 
destructive  to  the  hoof,  and  produces  a  species  of  decay 
known  as  the  hoof-rot  and  pumiced  feet,  already  described 
in  this  chapter. 

THE   TIME   OF   WEARING. 

The  length  of  time  that  shoes  may  be  worn  without  in- 
jury varies  with  different  horses.  Horses  with  soft  or  pum- 
iced feet  should  not  wear  them  longer  than  forty  or  forty-five 
days ;  those  of  six  or  seven  years  of  age,  when  their  feet  are 
good,  may  wear  them  for  sixty  or  seventy  days;  and  old 
horses,  if  their  feet  have  never  been  injured,  may  keep  them 
on  for  three  months — the  extreme  length  of  time  in  any 
case.  Young  horses  with  their  first  shoes  should  not  wear 
them  longer  than  forty  days.  • 

The  injuries  incurred  by  wearing  the  shoes  before  the  feet 
have  become  fully  formed,  or  have  attained  their  full  size 
and  hardness,  are  many.  Colts  should  have  on  shoes  but  a 
little  part  of  the  year.  Nor  should  the  colt  be  shod  at  all 
until  he  is  at  least  three  years  old,  and  even  this-  is  earlier 


550  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

than  is  advisable.  Shoes  may  be  put  on  the  three  years'  colt 
at  the  beginning  of  winter,  and  remain  until  spring,  when 
they  are  to  be  removed  and  left  off  until  the  following 
autumn. 

All  horses,  and  especially  all  young  horses,  should  spend 
as  much  of  their  time  bare-footed  as  possible.  The  shoes 
should  be  taken  from  the  farm-horse  in  the  spring,  his  feet 
pared,  and  the  edges  of  the  hoof  trimmed ;  and  if  the  bot- 
toms have  begun  to  decay  they  should  be  wetted  with  tur- 
pentine, which  must  be  thoroughly  dried  in  by  holding  a 
hot  iron  under  the  bottom  of  the  hoof  as  long  as  the  horse 
will  bear  the  heat.  The  corrosive  liniment  may  be  used  in- 
stead of  turpentine.  This  will  preserve  the  hoof  from  the 
evil  effects  of  shoeing,  and  destroy  any  tendency  to  disease. 
Feet  that  have  long  been  shod  will  always  be  tender,  and 
they  are  often  injured  when  the  shoes  are  removed,  and  after- 
ward much  hurt  by  contact  with  the  hard  ground.  More- 
over, when  shoes  are  not  properly  trimmed,  the  hoofs  break 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  let  the  bottom  of  the  foot  down 
upon  the  ground,  and  the  horse  is  given  pain  by  every  step 
he  takes,  from  the  soreness  of  the  soles  of  the  hoof. 

The  corrosive  liniment,  used  as  directed  in  the  chapter  on 
medicines,  will  readily  heal  and  harden  the  hoof.  Indeed, 
this  invaluable  liniment  might  well  be  applied  to  the  hoof 
on  many  occasions,  and  thus  certainly  prevent  such  diseases 
as  hoof-rot,  corns,  grease,  and  thrush. 


VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HORSE.  551 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HORSE. 
I.  VICES. 

The  horse,  like  man,  his  master,  is  a  compound  of  defects 
and  excellent  qualities.  Confessedly  among  the  noblest,  if 
not  the  noblest,  of  the  lower  animals,  he  yet  has  his  full  share 
of  vices.-  Most  of  these  are  common  to  the  species,  though 
a  few  seem  to  belong  exclusively  to  particular  breeds.  They 
are  sometimes  traceable  to  natural  disposition,  but  more  fre- 
quently to  the  result  of  improper  training,  of  neglect  or  abuse. 
False  education,  in  the  horse  as  well  as  the  human  creature, 
is  necessarily  a  cause  of  untold  evil.  The  horse  seems  read- 
ily to  fall  into  bad  ways,  and  should  be  curbed,  controlled, 
and  directed  properly  from  the  very  first.  The  value  of  a 
horse  is,  of  course,  diminished  in  proportion  to  the  number 
of  his  "vices,"  and  purchasers  are  often  cheated  through.! 
ignorance  of  the  means  of  detecting  them.  Many  persons 
are  deceived  by  an  opinion  that  prevails  largely  in  the  coun- 
try that  a  horse  can  easily  be  cured  of  a  bad  habit.  This  is 
a  great  mistake.  It  is  hard  to  teach  an  old  dog  new  tricks, 
but  still  harder  to  break  an  old  horse  of  bad  tricks.  It  is, 
indeed,  so  difficult  as  to  be  very  rarely  accomplished.  The 
colt  age  is  the  time  for  training ;  and  if  it  is  not  done  then 
it  is  almost  worse  than  useless  to  try  to  do  it  afterward, 
Rarey  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  take  up  and  consider  in  order 
Bome  of  the  chief  "  Vices  of  the  Horse." 

KICKING. 

Kicking  is  probably  the  worst  habit  that  the  horse  is  ever 
addicted  to,  for  it  is  very  dangerous.    It  may  be  induced  in 


552  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

the  colt  by  pinching,  teasing,  and  otherwise  annoying,  as 
boys  and .  hostlers  often  do.  The  grown  horse  is  not  likely 
to  kick,  unless  this  habit  has  been  acquired  early.  Still, 
there  are  colts  that  seem  naturally  vicious  in  this  particular. 
They  will  kick,  when  very  young,  at  every  body  and  every 
thing  that  comes  near  them.  But  by  far  the  larger  num- 
ber, as  above  intimated,  acquire  the  habit  through  the  ig- 
norance or  carelessness  of  attendants.  From  very  small  be- 
ginnings grow  the  very  worst  evils.  A  habit  of  kicking 
once  acquired  will  increase,  until  it  becomes  quite  unsafe 
to  approach  the  animal  addicted  to  it.  All  can  remember 
the  startling  warning,  so  often  heard,  "  Take  care — that 
horse  may  kick  you  I "  It  is  perilous  to  enter  the  stall  of 
a  kicking  horse,  or  to  attempt  to  clean  him,  or  to  hitch 
him,  or  even  touch  him  with  harness.  Some  horses  will 
kick  at  other  horses,  but  not  at  persons;  some  at  chains 
rattling  about  them,  but  not  at  other  parts  of  the  harness. 
Some  will  permit  one  person  to  ride  them,  but  decidedly 
object  to  two,  and  will  kick  violently  if  two  attempt  to 
mount  them.  The  most  dangerous  of  all  kicking  is  that 
done  in  harness.  Says  Youatt,-  *'  From  the  least  annoyance 
^bout  the  rump  or  quarters,  some  horses  will  kick  at  a  most 
violent  rate,  and  destroy  the  bottom  of  the  chaise  and  en- 
danger the  limbs  of  the  driver.  Those  that  are  fidgety  in 
the  stable  are  most  apt  to  do  this.  If  the  reins  should  per- 
chance get  under  his  tail,  the  violence  of  the  kicker  is  most 
outrageous ;  and  while  the  animal  presses  down  his  tail  so 
tightly  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  extricate  the  reins,  he 
continues  to  plunge  until  he  has  demolished  every  thing  be- 
hind him." 

It  is  not  only  imprudent  to  keep  a  horse  addicted  to  such 
practices  as  above  described,  but  it  is  criminal.  It  amounts 
to  a  species  of  insanity. 

The  best  remedy  for  kicking  is  to  tie  a  small,  hard  rope 
to  the  hair  of  the  tail;  pass  the  rope  along  the  belly  and 
between  the  legs,  and  fasten  it  very  tightly  to  the  collar,  or 
to  another  rope  tied  round  the  neck.    When  the  animal  thus 


VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HORSE.  553 

fettered  attempts  to  kick,  the  motion  of  his  hind  legs  will 
bring  such  a  strain  on  the  rope,  and  hurt  his  tail  and  the 
skin  of  his  belly  so  much,  that  he  will  be  deterred  from  an 
exercise  that  costs  him  so  dearly. 

BITING. 

This  vicious  habit  generally  arises  from  a  natural  disposi- 
tion to  ferocity,  but  is  made  worse  by  the  meanness  of  boys 
and  stable  attendants.  Few  horses  would  ever  become  biters 
were  it  not  for  the  annoyances  to  which  they  have  been  sub- 
ject, and  some  horses  can  scarcely  be  induced  to  bite.  Bit- 
ing horses  are  very  vexing,  and  often  dangerous.  It  is  im- 
possible to  enter  their  stall  with  safety,  or  to  curry,  saddle, 
harness,  or  even  feed  them  without  fear  of  mischief.  The 
biter's  worst  fault  is,  that  he  gives  no  warning  of  his  inten- 
tion. He  appears  as  docile  and  quiet  as  usual,  but  as  soon 
as  the  incautious  person  approaches  within  his  reach,  he 
seizes  him  with  his  teeth,  often  inflicting  serious  injury. 

A  biting  stallion  is  an  exceedingly  dangerous  auimal;  he 
not  only  bites,  but  is  apt  to  strike  with  his  fore-feet.  A 
gentleman  in  Middle  Tennessee,  who  owned  a  very  valuable 
stallion  that  was  in  the  habit  of  biting,  went  to  the  stable, 
one  evening,  to  feed  him,  but  as  he  did  not  return,  his  fam- 
ily, going  to  look  for  him,  found  him  dead  under  the  horse's 
feet. 

There  is  no  cure  for  this  propensity,  except  to  knock  out 
one  of  the  front  teeth  of  the  vicious  animal  every  time  he 
bites  a  person.  This  is  a  dreadful  remedy,  but  it  is  better 
than  to  be  continually  in  danger.  It  is  an  eflectual  remedy. 
Few  horses  will  need  to  have  more  than  two  teeth  removed — 
one  above  and  one  below. 

Professor  Stewart,  in  his  "Stable  Economy,"  pronounces 
the  worst  form  of  biting  to  be  a  "  species  of  insanity." 

The  habit  of  biting  can  be  remedied  or  prevented  in  the 
colt,  and  it  is  the  interest  and  duty  of  every  horse -owner  to 
see  that  it  is  remedied  or  prevented.  It  is  of  no  use  to  pun- 
ish the  colt  for  this  or  any  other  bad  habit.     Kindness  will 


5»H  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

do  more  good  than  punishment.     See  to  it  that  all  teasing 
and  vexing  of  your  colt  be  promptly  and  entirely  broken  up. 

REARING. 

This  habit  is  often  induced  by  bad  treatment,  such  as  jerk- 
ing the  mouth  with  the  bridle,  etc.  Whatever  may  be  the 
cause  of  it,  it  is  a  very  troublesome  and  dangerous  fault. 
By  it  riders  are  most  frequently  thrown,  with  what  sad  re- 
sults is  well  known.  If  a  horse  rears  in  the  harness,  he  is 
almost  sure  to  fall,  and  get  himself  entangled  in  the  gear, 
breaking  it,  oftentimes,  and  injuring  -himself.  If  beside 
another  horse,  this,  if  not  hurt,  is  generally  made  scary  by 
example.  Some  horses  will  not  back  without  rearing.  Per- 
sons purchasing  horses  should  be  sure  to  try  them  at  backing. 

The  remedy  recommended  for  kicking  will  also  apply  to 
rearing. 

SCARING. 

Scaring  is  a  common  defect  among  horses.  Some  of  them 
will  take  fright  at  almost  any  thing,  and  sometimes  appar- 
ently at  nothing.  In  many  cases  it  is  occasioned  by  a  defect 
of  vision.  Some  horses  are  near-sighted,  and,  in  consequence, 
do  not  see  objects  until  the}^  are  alarmingly  near.  But,  like 
the  other  vices  we  have  been  considering,  scaring  is  gener- 
ally a  habit  brought  on  by  bad  training.  Inconsiderate  boys 
and  irresponsible  hostlers  often  have  a  habit  of  frightening 
colts  whenever  they  come  near  them.  A  habit  of  scaring 
contracted  in  colthood  generally  remains  through  life.  There 
is  no  radical  remedy  for  it.  Gentle  and  kind  treatment  may 
effect  much,  and  nothing  else  will. 

Since  the  miserable  old  blind-bridles  have  gone  out  of  use, 
there  are  not  so  many  scary  horses  as  there  used  to  be. 

A  horse  generally  gives  evidence  of  fright  either  by  jump- 
ing forward  or  sidewise,  or  by  shying.  Jumping  is  the  most 
dangerous,  as  it  is  usually  the  signal  for  running.  'Nor  is. the 
horse  likely  to  delay  long.  He  is  off  in  an  instant — either 
to  one  side,  upsetting  or  endangering  the  vehicle  he  draVs, 


#   . 


VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HORSE.  555 

or  straight  ahead,  with  a  force  and  rapidity  that  it  strongly 
taxes  a  driver's  strength  to  restrain.  Shying  is  not  so  seri- 
ous, but  it  is  very  annoying.  Many  horses  that  start,  shy, 
and  jump  will  not  run  away,  but  this  is  not  generally  the 
case. 

RUNNING   AWAY.  A 

There  is  no  trust  to  be  put  in  a  horse  that  has  once  run 
away ;  and  a  horse  having  run  when  harnessed  to  a  vehicle 
ought  never  again  to  be  driven  to  the  same  vehicle.  Nor 
will  it  be  safe,  in  most  cases,  to  drive  him  singly,  unless  to 
the  plow.  He  may  be  ridden  or  worked  beside  some  old, 
steady  horse  in  the  wagon,  but  this  is  as  far  as  it  is  safe  to 
trust  him.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  scaring  is  the  nat- 
ural antecedent  to  running  away.  No  horse  will  run  away 
that  will  not  scare. 

BALKING  AND   BACKING. 

The  habit  of  balking  and  backing  is  one  of  the  worst  and 
most  insufferable  that  a  horse  is  ever  addicted  to,  and  one 
which  renders  "  horse-flesh  "  next  to  worthless.  It  is  a  habit 
we  are  again  compelled  to  attribute  not  so  much  to'  the  nat- 
ural disposition  of  the  horse  as  to  faulty  training  and  abuse 
in  colt-breaking.  It  is  often  the  result  of  overloading  the 
young  animal  before  he  has  been  trained  to  hard  pulling, 
and  before  he  has  become  strong  enough  to  bear  the  strain 
of  drawing  heavy  loads.  The  overtaxed  and  weary  beast, 
perhaps  midway  up  a  long  hill,  gifes  out  from  sheer  ex- 
haustion ;  and  then  the  wagon  runs  back,  pulling  him  with 
it,  and  in  this  way  the  practice  of  backing  and  balking  is 
begun,  and  at  first  a  necessity,  becomes  in  time  a  confirmed 
habit. 

A  horse  that  is  not  broken  before  the  age  of  three  years 
is  more  liable  to  run  into  this  practice  than  one  broken 
earlier. 

Of  course  there  is  no  dependence  to  be  put  on  a  balky 
horse.  When  you  most  need  his  services,  he  is  most  likely, 
to  disappoint  you.     Numbers  of  accidents  are  continually 


656  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

occurring  from  the  imprudence  of  driving  balkj  beasts,  and 
yet  many  persons  will  persist  in  a  practice  fraught  with  im- 
minent ^danger  to  property  and  life.  Indeed,  there  is  hardly 
any  matter  in  which  men  display  more  foolhardiness  than  in 
their  dealings  with  horses. 

There  is  no  cure  for  a  balky  horse.  We  have  seen  nearly 
all  means  tried,  and  have  seen  them  fail,  and  have  no  con- 
fidence in  any  plan  for  breaking  up  the  detestable  habit. 
Many  secret  rules  for  the  cure  of  it  have  been  circulated  in 
the  country,  the  chief  effect  of  which  has  been  to  deceive 
credulous  persons,  and  to  extract  a  few  dollars  from  their 
pockets.  A  class  of  secret-rule-selling  impostors  may  tame 
and  control  a  very  lazy  horse^  so  that  he  will  stand  still  and 
let  you  handle  him,  if  you  will  scratch  his  itching  hide  and 
breathe  into  his  nostrils — an  operation  very  grateful  to  him — 
but  none  of  them  has  ever  succeeded  in  making  an  obstinate, 
old,  balky  horse  pull  up  a  steep  hill ;  and,  furthermore,  they 
never  will  do  it. 

The  horse  can  be  trained  from  a  colt  to  be  true  and  steady 
in  harness,  and  kept  from  bad  tricks,  and  broken  of  some 
vices,  but  not  of  habitual  balking. 

CHEWING  THE   REINS. 

This  pernicious  habit  is  mostly  confined  to  young  colts 
and  mules.  The  old  horse  is  but  seldom  guilty  of  it,  but 
mules  often  continue  it  all  their  lives. 

It  may  be  prevented  and  the  animal  effectually  cured  by 
soaking  the  hitch-rein  of  the  halter  in  a  strong  decoction 
of  Cayenne  pepper.  In  the  absence  of  Cayenne  pepper  to- 
bacco may  be  employed. 

PULLING  AT  THE  HALTER  AND  BREAKING  AWAY. 

Some  horses  will  never  stand  hitched  by  the  halter,,  but 
are  always  restive  and  pulling,  and  frequently  break  away. 
This  is,  in  nearly  all  cases,  a  defect  of  early  training — of 
mismanagement  of  the  colt  while  quite  young.  Boys  are 
apt  to  be  continually  scaring  the  colt,  which,  if  tied  with  a 


VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HORSE.  557 

weak  cord,  will  sometimes  break  away ;  and  when  once  he 
has  learned  that  he  can  do  this,  he  will  ever  afterward  be 
trying  his  halter,  and  two  or  three  times  breaking  will  con- 
firm the  habit.  The  only  remedy  is  to  provide  a  halter  too 
strong  to  be  broken. 

.  .    OVEREEACHING  AND  INTERFERING. 

Overreaching  and  interfering  are  perhaps  not  so  properly 
classed  under  the  head  of  vices  as  under  that  of  infirmities. 
The  first  results  in  consequence  of  the  horse's  having  more 
power  and  nervous  action  in  his  hind  than  in  his  fore-legs. 
The  toe  of  his  hind  foot  strikes  against  the  heel  of  the  fore- 
foot, and,  wh.en  the  horse  is  shod,  there  is  a  peculiar,  disa- 
greeable sound  of  the  iron  shoes  hitting  together.  Besides 
the  unpleasantness  of  this  defect  to  a  rider  or  driver,  "a  horse 
afflicted  by  it  is  constantly  injuring  himself  by  cutting  the 
heel  of  the  fore-foot,  often  laming  himself  seriously. 

When  the  horse  strikes  the  fore-foot  on  one  side  against 
the  ankle  of  the  other,  in  the  act  of  stepping,  he  is  said  to 
interfere.  Such  a  horse  will  nearly  always  have  the  inside  of 
one  or  both  ankle-joints  cut  ajid  bleeding,  and  be  continally 
halting  and  limping  from  the  effects  of  these  bruises.  Horses 
that  are  very  narrow  in  the  chest,  and  whose  legs  are  not 
very  closely  together,  are  obviously  more  liable  to  this 
trouble  than  others. 

Much  may  be  done  to  remedy  interference  by  paring  the 
hoof  close  and  round  on  the  inside,  and  keeping  the  shoe- 
nails  from  projecting  outward ;  but  nothing  will  entirely  cure 
a  bad  case  of  interference.  Plenty  of  good,  wholesome  food, 
to  make  the  horse  fat,  will  spread  his  legs  somewhat  further 
apart,  and  partially  remedy  the  defect,  which,  in  fact,  is  often 
an  effect  of  leanness  and  hunger. 

STUMBLING. 

Stumbling  is  also  rather  an  infirmity  than  a  vice.  It  re- 
sults from  a  natural  fault  in  the  shape  of  the  hoof  and  foot, 
and  also  from  a  stiffness  of  the  knee.     The  legs  of  stumbling 


558  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

horses  are  set  too  straight  down  in  the  hoof,  like  a  post  in 
the  ground.  A  stumbler,  however,  is  generally  an  old  stiff - 
jointed,  worn-out  animal,  fit  for  nothing  but  the  wagon  or 
the  plow.  There  is  no  cure  for  a  stumbler,  and  woe  to  the 
man  who  attempts  to  ride  one.  He  had  better  have  his  neck 
insured  before  he  mounts. 


II.    UNSOUNDNESS. 

The  horse  can  not  tell  his  ailment,  and  sometimes  fine- 
looking  animals  possess  defects  that  the  best  of  judges  fail 
to  discern.  It  is  our  present  object  to  point  out  some  of 
the  more  important  marks  of  unsoundness,  to  guard,  the 
reader  against  imposition,  for  jockeys  are  very  skillful  in 
concealing  the  blemishes  of  their  horses,  and  buyers  are 
often  deceived  and  cheated. 

DEFECTS   OF   THE   EYE. 

It  is  difficult  to  detect  a  bad  eye.  It  can  be  done  best  in 
the  bright  sunshine.  The  head  of  the  horse  should  be  held 
in  such  a  position  as  to  let  the  sun's  rays  fall  as  directly  as 
possible  upon  the  ball  of  the  eye.  If  it  is  not  perfectly  clear, 
the  sun  shining  into  it  will  reveal  this.  Another  mode  of 
judging  of  the  condition  of  the  eye  is  by  examining  the 
nose  of  the  Horse,  and  looking  for  the  little  opening  in  the 
back  lining  of  the  nostril,  (described  in  the  chapter  on  the 
eye  and  blind  staggers,)  which  is  the  outlet  of  the  lachrymal 
duct  that  drains  the  water  from  the  eye.  This  little  opening 
will  be  discovered  to  be  of  different  sizes  in  different  horsea, 
varying  from  the  size  of  a  pin*s  head  to  an  eighth  or  even 
a  third  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  size  of  this  opening  is 
directly  indicative  of  the  strength  of  the  eye ;  and  in  all  cases 
of  disease  of  the  eye,  (except  from  blows  or  injuries,)  and  in 
all  cases  of  blindness  caused  by  disease,  the  little  opening  has 
been  found  to  be  very  small ;  and  in  a  majority  of  eases  that 
we  have  examined — numbering  nearly  five  hundred — the.se 
openings  were  not  larger  than  a  pin's  head;  and  in  Jour 


VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HORSE.  559 

cases  of  bad  eyes  examined  by  us  during  the  past  month, 
August,  1866,  in  Petersburg,  Ky.,  the  lachrymal  openings 
were  very  small  indeed.  Ou  the  contrary,  in  almost  ever}^ 
case  of  large,  full,  clear  eyes,  these  openings  are  proportion-  , 
ably  large.  This  is  an  almost  unvarying  rule,  that  the  ' 
strength  of  the  eye  to  resist  disease,  and  its  liability  to  go 
out,  will  be  indicated  by  the  size  of  these  openings. 

DEFECTS   OF   THE  TEET.  '  V 

There  are  more  horses  unsound  from  defects  of  the  feet 
than  from  all  other  causes  together.  Many  of  these*  defects 
arise  from  bad  shoeing,  but  more  of  them  from  bad  stabling, 
which  compels  the  horse  to  stand  in  wet  and  filth.  Plank 
floors  are  very  hurtful  to  horses'  feet,  especially  in  summer. 
The  diseases  most  likely  to  attack  the  feet  first  are  hoof-rot, 
corns,  thrush,  grease,  scratches,  and  these  are  the  exciting 
cause  of  many  others.  Hoof-rot  is  a  condition  of  the  foot 
that  has  excited  but  little  attention,  and  yet  it  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  almost  all  the  other  foot  difiiculties.  Hoof-rot, 
also  called  pumice  feet,  has  already  been  described.  It  is  in- 
dicated by  a  soft,  rotten  state  of  the  bottom,  of  the  hoof, 
permitting  its  substance  to  be  easily  dug  or  cut  out  with  a 
knife  or  a  chisel.  The  soft  matter  will  be  thickest  at  the 
back  part  of  the  foot,  and  has  a  white,  chalky,  scaly  appear-  *.  J|% 

ance.  When  the  feet  are  in  this  condition,  the  horse  will  be 
what  is  called  tender- footed,  a  condition  indicated  by  his  pe- 
culiar manner  of  stepping.  The  joints^will  swell,  and  many 
troublesome  if  not  incurable  diseases  ensue,  l^ever  forget 
that  hoof-rot  is  a  serious  disease,  and,  consequently,  a  positive 
and  deplorable  condition  of  unsoundneag. 

DEFECTS   OF   THE    SKIN. 

Many  horses  are  afflicted  by  a  scurviness  of  the  skin  which 
fills  the  hair  with  a  brownish  dust.  Such  horses  can  never 
be  kept  clean.  You  can  hardly  rub  your  hand  over  one  of 
them  without  its  becoming  smeared  with  this  gummy  scurf. 
K  you  curry  out  all  you  can  in  the  morning,  it  wiU  be  just 


^ 


560  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

as  bad  again  at  night.  This  condition  continues  sometimes 
for  months  and  years.  Few  persons  ever  think  that  this  in- 
dicates any  thing  specially  wrong,  but  they  are  sadly  mis- 
taken. It  is  caused  by  a  disease  of  the  skin,  a  continued 
fever  which  is  drying  up  the  scarf  or  cuticle,  and  thickening 
the  hide  all  over  the  body.  It  may  be  located  in  the  skin 
alone,  yet  often  is  caused  by  a  general  unhealthy  state  of 
the  system.  It  is  the  beginning  of  other  serious  diseases, 
and  is  especially  injurious  to  the  eye.  It  is  unsoundness  of 
the  most  dangerous  character. 

DEFECTS  OP  THE  RESPIRATORY  ORGANS. 

The  respiratory  organs  are  often  diseased,  and  even  when 
apparently  sound  the  eftects  of  previous  disease  may  remain, 
though  in  a  latent  form,  and  render  a  horse  much  less  val- 
uable than  he  would  otherwise  be.  Purchasers  are  in  danger 
of  being  cheated  by  having  a  horse  thus  unsound  imposed 
upon  them.  Some  of  the  chronic  complaints  resulting  from 
diseased  respiratory  organs  are  coughs,  broken  wind,  wheez- 
ing, thumps,  etc.  These  complaints  can  best  be  detected  by 
driving  or  riding  the  animal  for  some  distance  at  a  rapid 
rate.  If  any  thing  is  the  matter  with  these  organs,  he  will 
show  it  in  his  breathing.  Dry,  dusty  feed  will,  in  most 
cases,  bring  to  light  a  hidden  chronic  cough.  Examine  well 
your  horse  before  yau  buy  him  or  trade  for  him. 

DEFECTS   OF   STOMACH    AND   BOWELS. 

Indigestion  and  intestinal  disturbances  are  common  to  the 
horse,  but  these,  or  at  least  their  more  violent  symptoms, 
soon  pass  away.  I^t  so  their  effects;  a  diseased  ^nd  weak- 
ened condition  of  the  digestive  organs  often  remains.  Many 
horses  are  subject  to  frequent  attacks  of  colic,  the  conse- 
quence, of  imperfect  functions  of  weakened  organs.  Others 
are  constantly  troubled  with  looseness  of  the  bowels.  In  some 
cases  the  food  is  voided  but  partially  digested,  portions  of  hay 
and  grain  passing  whole.  These  may  be  but  temporary  affec- 
tions of  the  bowels,  but  in  some  cases  remain  constant. 


VICES  AND  UNSOUNDNESS  OF  THE  HpRSE.  561 


THE   URINARY    ORGANS. 

The  urinary  organs  are  more  subject  to  disease  than  any- 
other  parts  of  the  horse.  Inflammation  of  any  of  these 
organs  can  not  last  long.  It  must  soon  be  cured  or  it  will 
soon  kill.  Even  when  cured,  it  nearly  alwa3"s  leaves  evil 
effects  in  the  form  of  stricture  of  some  of  the  passages — of  a 
constant  tendency  to  fullness  of  the  sheath,  or  of  a  disordered 
state  of  the  urine,  known  under  the  names  of  thick  or  albu- 
minous urine,  white  or  briny  urine,  bloody  urine,  profuse 
stalling,  and  suppressage  or  stoppage  of  the  urine.  In  some 
cases  these  affections  are  only  temporary,  and  pass  away  with 
the  disease  that  caused  them,  but  in  many  others  they  be- 
come permanent. 

CONCLUSION. 

There  are  many  other  species  of  defect  to  which  the  horse 
is  liable  besides  those  we  have  mentioned.  It  has  been  our 
purpose  only  to  mention  such  important  defects  as  seriously 
impair  the  soundness  of  the  horse,  and  are  not  generally  un- 
derstood. The  reader  needs  no  warning  against  defects  easily 
to  be  discovered,  but  against  those  of  a  more  hidden  and  in- 
tricate nature  he  may  find  a  word  of  caution  beneficial.  Cer- 
tain diseases  have  their  marks  so  prominent  that  they  can  be 
detected  at  once ;  such  are  ring-bone,  spavin,  splint,  wind- 
galls,  narrow  heel,  swelled  legs,  big  head,  etc.  These  all 
constitute  unsoundness  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  but  are 
so  well  known  that  no  description  of  them  is  needed. 
36 


562  AMERKJAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

MEDICAL  PREPARATIONS  RECOMMENDED  IN  THIS  WORK. 

But  few  persons  are  to  be  found  in  our  country  capable 
of  treating  properly  tbe  diseases  of  the  horse;  but  there  is 
no  lack  of  quacks,  the  presumption  and  ignorance  of  whom 
have  thoroughly  disgusted  the  people.  Occasionally,  how- 
ever, we  are  favored  by  the  presence  of  a  veterinary  practi- 
tioner of  knowledge,  skill,  and  experience.  The  cities  are, 
in  this  respect,  better  supplied  than  the  country;  yet  even 
in  the  city  the  old  treatment  and  exploded  theories  of  dis- 
eases generally  prevail,- and  the  medicines  in  common  use 
are  too  often  ineffectual.  In  practice  it  will  frequently  be 
found  that  medicines  are  applied  to  destroy  the  effects  rather 
than  to  remove  the  causes  of  disease.  A  case  in  point :  We 
have  under  treatment  a  horse  in  Petersburg,  Kentucky,  that 
had  been  doctored  for  the  "swelled  leg"  by  a  professedly 
"  scientilic  practitioner."  Medicine  had  been  applied  to  the 
leg  to  abate  the  swelling,  while  the  foot  was  dreadfuly  dis- 
eased with  hoof-rot,  corns,  and  incipient  greasy  heel.  This 
condition  of  the  foot  had  been  the  cause  of  the  swelling  of 
the  leg,  but  nothing  had  been  done  for  it,  if  it  had  even  been 
discovered  at  all. 

The  farmer  must  necessarily,  as  a  rule,  be  his  own  horse- 
doctor,  or  go  without  any.  It  is,  therefore,  very  important 
that  he  and  all  horse-owners  should  make  themselves  ac- 
quainted not  only  with  the  ordinary  diseases,  but  with  the 
medicines  most  likely  to  cure  them.  The  practice  now  in 
vogue  is  to  use  preparations  unfamiliar  to  the  farmer,  and 
not  easily  procured.  This  ought  not  to  be  so.  The  essen- 
tial remedies  usually  employed  with  most  benefit  are  simple, 
and  obtained  without  difficulty ;  nor  are  they  dangerous  to  use. 


MEDICAL  PREPARATIONS.  '  66B 

The  medicines  described  in  these  pages  are  few  and  fa- 
miliar; yet  they,  singly  or  in  combination,  have  been  proven 
by  experience  to  be  efficacious.  We  shall  briefly  give  their 
constitution,  properties,  mode  of  preparation,  and  use.  Par- 
ticular attention  should  be  paid  to  the  directions  given  for 
their  preparation ;  and  the  manner  of  using  here  recom- 
mended should  be  strictly  followed. 

CORROSIVE   LINIMENT. 
I. 

Take  half  a  pint  of  turpentine,  wh||h  put  in  a  good,  strong 
bottle,  adding  an  ounce  of  finely-pulverized  corrosiye  sublimate 
and  an  ounce  of  gum  camphor.  Shake  well,  ^nd  let  the  mix- 
ture stand  for  twenty-four  hours,  when  it  will  be  fit  for  use. 

The  value  of  this  liniment  depends  greatly  upon,  the  fine- 
ness to  which  the  corrosive  sublimate  is  pulverized.  Grind 
it  as  fine  as  possible  in  a  druggist's  mortar ;  pounding  with 
a  hammer  will  not  answer.  The  object  of  this  pulverization 
is  to  get  the  substance  in  such  a  form  that  it  will  be  read- 
ily dissolved  by  the  turpentine.  There  are  comparatively 
few  liquids  which  will  dissolve  corrosive  sublimate,  and  we 
claim  to  have  discovered  that  turpentine  is  one  of  these. 
Corrosive  sublimate  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  most  vio- 
lent poisons.  Its  combination  with  turpentine  constitutes 
one  of  the  most  powerful  of  n^edicines,  increasing  in  its 
active  properties  by  keeping.  We  believe  it  to  be  the  most 
penetrating  liniment  in  the  world.  It  reaches  the  seat  of 
disease  through  any  and  all  obstacles.  It  destroys  all  in- 
fection, putridity,  ulceration,  old  running-sores,  proud  flesh, 
and  all  skin  and  bone  diseases  of -the  horse.  It  will  cure 
big  head  ^d  jaw,  grease,  thrush,  scratches,  swelled  legs,  hoof- 
rot,  foot-evil,  corns,  ulceration  of  the  foot,  (navicular  disease,) 
fistula,  poll- evil,  ring-bone,  and  spavin,  in  their  first  stages. 

In  the  human  subject  this  liniment  has  been  known  to 
cure  repeatedly  those  troublesome  affections  known  as  tetter 
and  scald-head;  but  it  is  to  be  used  with  great  caution  in 
these  cases,  and  not  at  all  unless  at  least  ten  days  old. 


^4  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Method  of  using. — Always  shake  the  hottle  well  before  tak- 
ing out  the  stopper.  Pour  the  liquid  into  an  earthen  vessel, 
as  it  corrodes  vessels  of  metal.  Apply  with  a  little  mop  of 
soft  rasr.  In  all  bone  affections  the  liniment  is  to  be  thor- 
oughly  dried  in  by  means  of  a  hot  iron,  held  close  to  the 
medicated  spot,  but  not  close  enough  to  burn  the  animal. 
Particular  directions  are  given,  in  connection  with  the  de- 
scription of  diseases,  how  to  proceed  in  reference  to  quantity 
and  manner  of  using  the  liniment. 

Cautions. — ^Keep  the  materials  for  making  this  preparation 
and  the  medicine  itself  out  of  the  way  of  children.  Taken 
internally  it  is  a  violent  poison,  but  may  be  antidoted  by  the 
white  of  eggs.  ,  It  will  not  hurt  the  hands  provided  the  skin 
is  whole  and  sound.  It  is  so  corrosive  that  persons  unac- 
quainted with  its  use  are  sometimes  alarmed  at  the  severity 
with  which  it  acts  upon  the  skin  of  the  horse.  Nothing 
more  strikingly  shows  the  difference  between  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  horse  and  that  of  the  human  being  than  the  ac- 
tion of  this  medicine,  which,  while  it  dreadfully  inflames, 
corrodes,  and  puffs  out  the  skin  o5f  the  former,  harms  that 
of  the  latter  not  at  all. 

MAY-APPLE   LINIMENT. 
II. 

Make  a  strong  decoction  from  about  a  gallon  of  May-apple 
roots,  continuing  to  boil  until  you  obtain  a  thick  syrup — tak- 
ing care  not  to  burn  it.  While  still  boiling,  add  one-fourth  as 
much  old  bacon  or  lard  as  you  have  syrup,  remembering  to 
stir  all  the  time ;  remove  from  the  fire,  and  preserve  for  use. 

Use. — We  use  this  liniment  in  cases  of  ulcers  and  tumors 
where  matter  has  formed.  It  is  also  employed  in  cases  of 
fistula  and  poll-evil  in  their  second  stage ;  that  is,  when  sup- 
puration or  festering  has  set  in.  In  this  stage  of  those  dis- 
eases this  remedy  never  fails  to  cure.  It  is  slow  in  its  action, 
but  very  certain  if  properly  used.  It  inflames  the  skin,  puff- 
ing it  out  like  a  honey-comb,  and  draws  the  fever  and  mat- 
ter all  to  the  surface. 


MEDICAL  PREPARATIONS.  565 

To  find  the  May-apple. — The  May-apple  (podophyllum  pel- 
tatum)  is  common  in  the  Middle  and  Western  States  of  the 
Union.  It  grows  in  nearly  all  rich  upland  where  the  birch 
and  the  sugar-tree  is  found,  and  in  most  creek  and  river 
bottoms.  It  is  about  a  foot  in  height,  with  a  rounded  stem, 
sometimes  dividing  at  the  top  into  two  branches,  between 
which  is  the  flower.  When  not  divided,  the  leaf  at  the  top 
looks  somewhat  like  a  little  umbrella.  The  roots  are  brittle, 
whitish-brown  in  color,  and  begin  to  branch  within  about  an 
inch  of  the  top  of  the  ground,  forming  a  dense  bunch.  The 
May-apple  comes  up  early  in  the  spring,  and  the  stem  dies 
down  about  June.  The  roots  should  not  be  dug  up  and 
dried,  as  drying  destroys  much  of  its  medical  efficacy.  It 
can  nearly  always  be  found. 

MAGIC  NERVE   LINIMENT. 
III. 

Get  a  strong  bottle,  capable  of  holding  eight  ounces,  into 
which  put 

Spirits  of  hartshorn 1^  oz. 

Sulphuric  ether 1 J  oz. 

Spirits  turpentine ^  oz. 

Sweet  oil » f  oz. 

Oil  of  cloves ^  oz. 

Chloroform 1     oz. 

Shake  well  and  your  liniment  is  ready  for  use.  The  bottle 
should  be  kept  well  closed,  with  a  ground  glass  stopper,  if 
possible,  as  several  of  the  ingredients  of  the  mixture  are 
highly  volatile.  It  should  be  kept  in  a  dark  place,  or  else 
closely  wrapped  in  thick  paper  or  cloth,  as  light  tends  to 
destroy  its  power. 

Use. — This  liniment,  as  its  name  implies,  is  applied  for 
nervous  affections,  and  is  very  soothing  in  its  effects.  It 
allays  the  pain  in  cases  of  string-halt,,  cramps,  contraction  of 
the  skin,  sprains,  and  swelled  legs  and  joints.  It  is  used  as 
a  counter-irritant  to  rub  over  the  region  of  the  throat  in 
colds,  coughs,  swelled  throat,  etc.;  the  lungs  in  bronchitis, 


566  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

pneumonia,  and  pleurisy ;  the  stomach  and  bowels  in  colic 
and  enteritis ;  the  back  and  loins  in  all  affections  of  the  kid- 
neys and  urinary  organs.  It  is  also  excellent  to  apply  to  the 
region  of  the  brain  in  all  cerebral  disturbances.  If  applied 
early  enough  it  will  cure  tumors  and  other  swellings. 

This  liniment  will*  be  found  of  exceeding  value  to  the  hu- 
man subject  in  various  nervous  affections,  especially  in  head- 
ache and  toothache. 

MERCURIAL   SALVE. 
IV. 

Take  of  metallic  mercury  (quicksilver;  a  quantity  equal 
in  size  to  a  pea;  of  iodine,  the  same  amount ;  of  corrosive 
sublimate,  one  ounce,  finely  pulverized.  Mix  these  with  two 
table-spoonfuls  of  lard  until  thoroughly  combined. 

Use. — This  salve  will  cure  thrush,  scratches,  and  foot-evil, 
but  will  not  cure  the  other  diseases  of  the  foot.  It  will  cure 
nearly  ;all  cutaneous  diseaifes,  such  as  mange,  surfeit,  etc., 
and  all  eruptions.  It  is  not  so  powerful  as  the  corrosive 
liniment,  and,  therefore,  better  than  this  in  cases  requiring 
mild  treatment.  It  should  be  well  rubbed  into  the  skin 
with  the  end  of  the  finger,  or  a  rough  rag  or  brush.  Care 
should  be  taken  in  using  this  salve  to  keep  it  from  the  finger 
nails,  as  it  corrodes  and  sometimes  destroys  them  entirely. 

• 

SULPHUR  OINTMENT. 
V. 

Take  half  an  ounce  of  red  precipitate,  one  ounce  of  sul- 
phur, and  four  ounces  of  lard ;  mix  well  together  and  pre- 
serve for  use. 

Use. — This  ointment  is  used  to  kill  vermin  on  the  horse, 
and  to  anoint  the  skin  in  such  diseases  as  surfeit,  mange, 
and  all  dryness  and  eruptions  of  the  skin.  It  is  a  disinfect- 
ant for  these  diseases,  as  well  as  for  all  diseases  of  the  feet 
and  legs,  such  as  thrush,  grease,  scratches,  and  foot-evil.  It 
is  good  for  slight  galls  on  the  back  and  shoulders.  It  is,  on 
the  whole,  an  invaluable  remedy,  and  should  be  kept  in 
every  stable. 

% 


MEDICAL  PREPARATIONS.  567 


CAUSTIC   SALVE  AND  WASH. 
VI. 

These  are  made  of  the  common  caustic  potash  of  com- 
merce. The  wash  is  simply  a  strong  solution  of  lye  of  pot- 
ash and  water. 

Use. — For  the  cure  of  warts  of  different  kinds,  the  lye 
is  to  be  applied  in  the  morning,  then  washed  off  in  the  even- 
ing, and  the  application  repeated.  This  is  to  be  continued 
until  the  wart  is  driven  away.  In  the  treatment  of  a  blood 
wart,  the  corrosive  liniment  should  follow  the  use  of  the  pot- 
ash, to  destroy  the  roots  of  the  wart  and  heal  the  sore.  If  a 
seed  wart,  grease  the  place  after  using  the  potash,  and  let  it 
go.  Care  must  be  taken,  in  using  caustic  potash,  not  to  let 
it  run  on  other  parts  of  the  skin  than  that  under  tteatment, 
as  it  will  invariably  remove  the  hair  and  cause  a  sore.  This 
may  be  prevented  by  spreading  a  coat  of  grease  below  the 
wart  on  the  skin. 

The  caustic  salve  is  made  by  mixing  finely-pulverized 
charcoal  with  the  lye.  This  is  used  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  wash,  but  it  is  to  be  preferred,  because  there  is  no  danger 
of  its  running. 

PROP.  DALE  S   PERSIAN   HORSE    AND   CATTLE   POWDERS. 
VII. 

A  very  excellent  tonic  and  alterative,  to  be  used  according 
to  directions  given  in  different  parts  of  this  work. 

NITRIC   ACID. 
VIII. 

Nitric  acid  is  also  used  to  destroy  warts,  but  must  be 
handled  with  extreme  caution.  A  piece  of  leather  or  thick 
pasteboard,  with  a  hole  cut  in  it  large  enough  to  allow  the 
top  or  crown  of  the  wart  to  pass  through,  is  first  placed  over 
the  wart,  and  then  a  very  little  of  the  acid  carefully  applied 
with  a  very  small  brush  or  a  little  mop.  The  parts  below 
the  wart  should  be  well  greased  with  tallow  to  prevent  the 
corrosive  action  of  the  acid  which  might  trickle  down.  The 
application  of  the  acid  should  be  made  every  twelve  hours, 


» 


568  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

until  the  wart  is  destroyed.  The  use  of  the  corrosive  lini- 
ment should  invariably  follow  the  last  application  of  the 
acid. 

Caution. — !N"itric  acid  is  a  violent  poison,  and,  if  dropped 
upon  the  human  skin,  stains  if  it  does  not  blister  and  pro- 
duce malignant  sores. 

DISTEMPER   MIXTURE. 
IX, 

Take  one  table-spoonful  of  gunpowder,  one  of  hog's  lard, 
one  of  soft  soap,  two  of  tar,  one  of  gum  myrrh ;  mix  well 
together,  and  the  quantity  will  suffice  for  six  doses  for  a 
grown  horse  or  ten  for  a  colt.  Its  daily  use  will  keep  the 
glands  open  and  running  during  attacks  of  distemper.  Di- 
rections for  its  use  have  been  given  in  the  section  on  distem- 
per.    No  danger  is  to  be  apprehended  from  using  it  freely. 

EYE   WASH. 
X. 

Take  three  hen's  eggs  and  break  them  into  a  quart  of 
clear,  cold  rain-water.  Stir  until  a  thorough  mixture  is 
effected.  Boil  over  a  slow  fire,  stirring  every  few  minutes. 
Add  half  an  ounce  of  sulphate  of  zinc  (white  vitriol);  con- 
tinue the  boiling  a  short  time,  and  the  compound  is  ready 
for  use.  In  this  preparation  a  solid  substance  or  curd  is  pre- 
cipitated or  thrown  down,  and  a  liquid  solution  rests  upon 
the  top.  This  liquid  is  the  best  wash  for  the  sore  eyes  of 
either  man  or  beast  that  was  ever  made. 

The  curd  applied  to  the  inflamed  eye  at  night  will  draw 
the  fever  and  soreness  nearly'  all  out  by  morning.  It  may 
be  applied  to  the  eye  of  the  horse  by  fixing  a  hood  over  the 
head,  leaving  a  hole  for  the  accommodation  of  the  sound 
eye,  but  fitting  tight  over  the  sore,  so  as  to  confine  the  curd 
to  it.  About  a  table-spoonful  of  the  curd  should  be  con- 
fined in  a  thin  piece  of  muslin,  and  laid  upon  the  lids,  wet 
and  dripping  from  the  water,  and  bound  fast.  After  two  or 
three  days,  the  water  should  be  strained  from  the  curd  and 
put .  into  a  bottle  for  future  use.     It  is  well  to  strain  the 


MEDICAL  PREPARATIONS.  569 

water  two  or  three  times,  so  that  it  may  be  entirely  clear 
and  free  of  the  egg  ointment,  and  then  it  will  keep  perfectly 
good.  The  curd  is  of  no  future  use.  This  eye-wash  is  in- 
valuable, '^o  physician  or  druggist  has  ever  discovered  a 
medicine  of  the  kind  equal  to  it,  and  it  is  claimed  by  the 
author  of  this  work  as  his  exclusive  invention.  When  ap- 
plied to  the  human  eye  it  should  be  diluted.  The  curd  may 
be  used  by  the  human  subject  with  great  efficacy. 

JIMSON-SEBD. 
XI. 

The  Datura  Stramonium,  familiarly  known  as  the  jimson- 
weed,  or  thorn-apple,  is  a  well-known  poisonous  plant,  grow- 
ing in  rubbish  in  waste  places.  Its  seed  is  used  as  a  horse 
medicine;  for,  though  poisonous  to  man,  it  is  often  beneficial 
to  beasts.  The  only  danger  in  giving  it  to  the  horse  is,  that 
it  may  injuriously  affect  his  eyes;  and  yet  horses  have  al- 
most lived  upon  it  for  weeks  and  months,  and  no  harm  has 
followed.  Cattle,  sheep,  and  goats  feed  upon  it  with  impun- 
ity. For  the  horse  it  is  a  most  powerful  alterative.  It  is 
cathartic,  diaphoretic,  and  diuretic.  It  acts  upon  the  stom- 
ach and  bowels,  producing  a  healthy  condition  of  those  or- 
gans. It  enters  the  blood  rapidly,  finds  its  way  through  the 
capillaries  to  the  surface,  producing  energetic  and  healthy  cu- 
taneous evacuations.  Nothing  that  can  be  given  the  horse 
will  so  quickly  regulate  and  allay  urinary  obstructions  and 
inflammation.  It  is  the  great  horse  medicine.  In  cases  of 
big  head,  hide-bound,  stiff  complaint,  mange,  farcy,  glanders, 
distemper,  and  chronic  founder  it  is  unsurpassed.  In  all  cases 
of  impure  and  disordered  and  impaired  digestion  it  is  the  med- 
icine of  all  medicines.  Nothing  that  we  have  ever  used  acts 
so  promptly  and  beneficially.  The  big  head  can  not  be  suc- 
cessfully cured  without  it;  neither  can  bad  cases  of  hide- 
bound and  stiff  complaint.  Perhaps  there  is  nothing  that 
will  relieve  rheumatism  as  speedily  as  this  seed.  It  should 
be  gathered  during  the  months  of  October  and  November 
and  laid  up  for  use. 


570  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Dose — ^From  one  to  two  ounces,  or  table- spoonfuls,  every 
second  or  third  day,  according  to  the  severity  of  the  disease, 
until  four  doses  have  been  given ;  after  a  lapse  of  a  few  days, 
repeat  the  operation.  In  extreme  cases,  a  dose  may  be  given 
every  day. 

SULPHUR. 

xn. 
Sulphur,  as  a  horse  medicine,  has  peculiar  and  valuable 
properties.  It  is  alterative,  mildly  cathartic,  and  disinfect- 
ant. It  destroys  putridity  of  the  bowels  sooner  than  any 
other  medicine,  and  acts  very  finely  upon  the  absorbents. 
It  is  somewhat  sedative,  and  most  certainly  diuretic.  But 
it  is  most  valuable  in  its  action  upon  the  skin  and  hair.  It 
opens  the  pores  and  stimulates  the  oily  secretions  to  press  to 
the  surface.  It  may  be  given  in  any  quantity  without  injury 
to  the  horse.  The  usual  dose  is  two  ounces  every  day,  or 
four  ounces  every  other  day.  We  use  sulphur  in  the  form 
of  flowers. 

ROSIN. 

xni. 

Rosin,  or  resin,  is  a  mild  diuretic,  and  on  that  account  is 
very  valuable,  as  there  are  so  many  diuretics  that  are  injuri- 
ous to  the  horse  from  their  energy  of  operation.  Two  table- 
spoonfuls  is  a  dose.  We  always  give  it  finely  pulverized,  and 
in  connection  with  sulphur.  It  acts  upon  the  kidneys  and 
bladder,  and  cleanses  the  urine  more  safely  and  efiectually 
than  any  other  medicine  we  know  of,  but  is  very  slow  in 
its  operation. 

SCAB   FROM  THE  HORSB'S  LEG. 

xrv. 
The  scab"  which  grows  upon  the  outside  of  both  fore  and 
hind  legs  of  the  horse  has  some  very  strange  properties  that 
have  not  heretofore  been  pointed  out.  It  certainly  has  a 
very  stupefying  efiect  upon  the  horse  when  its  odor  is  in- 
haled by  him — when  it  is  taken  into  his  stomach  or  even 
put  into  his  ears.  The  strange  efiect  continues  for  an  hour 
or  two.     If  the  substance  mentioned  be  taken  into  the  stom- 


MEDICAL  PREPARATIONS.  671 

ach  in  quantity  of  a  tea-spoonful  it  relaxes  the  entire  system 
in  a  few  minutes,  and  is  of  great  value  in  cases  of  lock-jaw. 
Its  operation  is  perfectly  astonishing.  A  tea-spoonful  pul- 
verized is  a  dose,  and  is  to  be  given  in  connection  with  a 
large  dose  of  salts.  This  scab  has  a  peculiarly  strong  and 
somewhat  ofiensive  smell;  but  the  horse  appears  to  be  fond 
of  it;  and  if  the  hands  be  rubbed  with  it,  and  held  under 
his  nose,  he  will  stand  perfectly  still,  in  seeming  quiet  en- 
joyment. He  often  puts  his  head  down  and  rubs  his  nose 
against  the  scab,  which,  no  doubt,  has  some  pleasant  and  ben- 
eficial eftect  upon  him.  N'ature  has  probably  provided  this 
substance  to  meet  some  of  his  wants  or  to  relieve  some  of 
his  sufferings.  We  are  of  the  opinion  that  its  use  as  a  med- 
icine in  any  quantity  is  decidedly  injurious,  and  should  be 
sparingly  indulged.  It  has  been  used  by  some  in  breaking 
wild  horses,  in  the  first  steps  in  catching  and  gentling.  We 
have  tried  it  for  this  purpose,  and  would  most  earnestly  dis- 
courage its  use.        .^ 


GLOSSARY 

OP 

SCIENTIFIC  AND  TECHNICAL  TERMS 

USED    IN   THIS   WORK. 


Abate — To  lessen,  to  diminish. 

Abdomen — The  belly ;  that  part  of  the  body  which  contains  the  stomach  and  in- 
testines. 

Abnormal — Unnatural,  irregular. 

Abortion — A  premature  birth ;  miscarriage ;  an  incomplete  formation. 

Abrasion — A  tearing  or  rubbing  oflF,  as  of  a  piece  of  skin. 

Abscess — A  cavity  containing  pus,  or  the  pus  in  such  cavity. 

Abscission — A  cutting  away  or  removal. 

Accretion — A  growing  or  increase. 

AcBNi — Small  stones  in  the  liver  resembling  berries  of  the  same  name. 

Acme — The  height  of  a  disease. 

Acrid — Pungent,  irritating. 

Acute — Sharp,  severe  ;  applied  to  diseases  that  soon  come  to  an  end  as  opposed 
to  chronic  diseases. 

Adhesion — A  union  of  parts ;  sticking  together. 

Adipose — Belonging  to,  or  consisting  of  fat. 

Affection — Disease. 

Albumen — A  substance  found  in  animals  and  vegetables,  of  which  the  white  of 
an  egg  is  an  example. 

Aliment — Any  kind  of  food. 

Alimentary  Canal — The  whole  passage  through  which  the  food  passes  from  the 
mouth  to  the  anus. 

Alkali — A  substance  which  neutralizes  acids,  as  soda,  potash,  ammonia,  etc. 

Alterative — A  medicine  which  gradually  produces  a  ciiange  in  the  constitution. 

Anatomy — The  science  which  teaches  the  structure  of  animals  and  plants,  as 
learned  by  dissection. 

Amomaly — Irregularity ;  something  out  of  the  usual  way. 

Antidote — A  remedy  to  counteract  poisons  or  any  thing  noxious. 

(573) 


# 


574  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Amus — The  fundament  or  lower  extremity  of  the  bowel. 
Aperient — Opening,  laxative. 

Aqueous — Watery;  consisting  of,  or  having  the  properties  of  water. 
Aetert — The  name  of  blood-vessels  which  carry  blood  from  the  heart. 
Articulate — To  join  together.     Applied  to  the  bones. 
Asthenopia — Weakness  of  vision. 
Astringent — Binding  or  contracting. 
Attenuate — To  make  thin. 

Auricle — The  external  part  of  the  ear;  also  a  part  on  each  side  of  the  heart,  bo 
called  from  resembling  the  ears  of  animals. 

Bisect — To  divide  into  two  equal  parts. 

Bronchial — Belonging  to  the  divisions  of  the  windpipe. 

Biliary — Belonging  to,  or  containing  bile. 

Caloareous — Like  lime. 

Callus — A  hard  deposit;  excess  of  bony  matter. 

Capillary — Hair-like.    Applied  to  the  extreme  ramifications  of  the  blood-vesaek. 

Capsule — A  membranous  bag  inclosing  an  organ. 

Caries — Ulceration  of  the  substance  of  bones. 

Cartilage— Gristle. 

Catarrh — A  cold,  attended  with  running  of  the  nose. 

Castrate — To  emasculate ;  to  deprive  of  the  testicles. 

Cathartic — Purgative. 

Caustic — Burning,  as  potash. 

Cauterize— To  destroy  animal  tissues  by  heat,  as  with  a  hot  iron. 

Cephalic — Pertaining  to  the  head. 

Cervical — Belonging  to  the  neck. 

Cerebral — Pertaining  to  the  brain. 

Chirurgical — Pertaining  to  surgery.  * 

Chronic — Seated ;  of  long  continuance. 

Chyle — The  milky  liquid  prepared  from  the  food,  to  be  absorbed  by  the  lacteal 

vessels,  and  supplied  to  the  blood  for  nutriment 
Chyme — The  pulpy  mass  formed  by  digestion  of  the  food  in  the  stomach. 
Cicatrise — To  heal  a  wound,  or  induce  the  formation  of  a  scar. 
Clyster — A  liquid  substance  injected  into  the  lower  intestine. 
Coagulate — To  turn  from  a  fluid  to  a  thick  state. 
Coffin-bone — The  lower  bone  of  the  leg  incased  in  its  hoof. 
Coition — Copulation;  sexual  commerce. 
Colic — A  painful  disorder  of  the  intestines. 
Collapse — A  falling  together. 
Colon — One  of  the  large  intestines. 
Congenital — Born  with;  belonging  to  from  birth. 
Congestion — An  accumulation  of  blood  or  other  fluid  in  the  vessels. 
Constrictor — A  binder  or  drawer  together.     Applied  to  the  muscles. 
Contagious — Capable  of  being  communicated  by  touch. 


GLOSSARY  OF  SCIENTIFIC  AND  TECHNICAL  TERMS.   575 

Contorted — Twisted. 

Contusion — A  bruise ;  the  act  of  beating  or  braising. 

Corrosive — Having  the  power  of  gradually  eating  or  wearing  away. 

Cranial— Pertaining  to  the  skull. 

Crucial — Like  a  cross. 

Crural — Of,  or  belonging  to  the  leg. 

Cul-de-sac — A  passage  closed  at  one  end. 

Cutaneous — Pertaining  to  the  skin. 

Cuticle — The  outer  or  scarf  skin. 

Ctst — A  small  bladder  or  bag. 

Decoction — A  fluid  impregnated  with  any  substance  by  boiling. 

Deglutition — The  act  of  swallowing. 

Degenerate — To  grow  worse  or  inferior. 

Decarbonize — To  free  from  carbon. 

Deleterious — Destructive,  injurious,  poisonous. 

Depletion — Emptying ;  diminishing  the  quantity  contained. 

Dermal — Belonging  to  the  skin. 

Dbssicate — To  make  dry. 

Detergent — Cleansing. 

Diabetes — An  inordinate  flow  of  urine. 

Diagnosis — The  distinction  of  one  disease  from  another. 

Diaphoretic — Increasing  the  flow  of  perspiration. 

Diaphragm — The  midriflF,  or  membranous  and  muscular  partition  which  divides 

the  thorax,  or  chest,  from  the  abdomen. 
Diarrhea — An  excessive  discharge  from  the  bowels. 
Disinfect — To  purify  from  infection. 
Diuretic — Increasing  the  flow  of  urine. 
Dorsal — Pertaining  to  the  back. 
Drastic — Acting  powerfully. 

Duct — A  tube  or  vessel  for  conveying  a  fluid,  especially  a  secretion  from  a  gland. 
Duodenum — The  first  portion  of  the  small  intestine. 
Dysphagia — Difficulty  of  swallowing. 
Dtspngsa — Difficulty  of  breathing. 

Ecchtmosis — An  efi'usion  of  blood  nnder  the  skin;  a  bruise. 

Ejection — A  casting  out. 

Elastic — Having  the  property  of  springing  back  to  its  original  form  after  this 
has  been  altered. 

Emetic — Producing  the  act  of  vomiting. 

Emollient — Softening  or  relaxing. 

Enema — A  medicine  injected  into  the  lower  bowel. 

Enteric — Belonging  to  the  bowels. 

Epiglottis — A  tongue-shaped  projection  lying  over  the  entrance  of  the  wind- 
pipe, and  preventing  the  entrance  of  food  or  drink. 

Eruption — A  breaking  forth ;  a  rash  on  the  skin. 


576  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Esophagus— The  gullet  or  tube  which  conveys  food  to  the  stomach. 

Evacuate — To  empty  or  free  from. 

Excoriate — To  strip  oflF  the  skin. 

Excrement — Refuse  matter. 

Excrescence — An  unnatural  or  superfluous  growth. 

Excretion — A  separation  of  fluids  from  the  body  by  means  of  glands. 

Exhalant — Breathing  out  or  evaporating. 

Exostosis — An  unnatural  growth  of  or  projection  from  a  bone. 

Exude — To  discharge  through  pores. 

Facial — Pertaining  to  the  face. 

FffiCES — Excrement,  or  refuse  matter. 

Farcy — A  disease  of  the  lymphatics  of  the  skin  of  the  horse. 

Feculent — Containing  dregs  or  sediment. 

Femur — The  thigh  bone. 

Fermentation — Commotion  owing  to  decomposition  of  vegetable  substances  1 

souring.  1 

Fetus,  or  F<btus — The  young  unborn  animal,  in  which  all  the  parts  of  the  body  | 

are  formed.  | 

Fibrin — An  organic  substance  found  in  the  blood;  and  composing  a  great  part  j 

of  the  tissues  of  the  body. 
Fibula — The  small  or  splinter  bone  of  the  hind  leg  above  the  hock. 
Fistula — A  deep,  narrow,  callous  ulcer. 
Fistulous — Like  a  pipe. 

Flatulency — A  generation  of  gases  in  the  stomach  and  intestines. 
Flexible — Capable  of  being  bent. 

Flexor — A  bender.    Applied  to  the  muscles  which  bend  the  limbs. 
Fumigate — To  apply  smoke  or  vapor. 
Fungous — Resembling  mushrooms. 

Gangrene — Death  of  a  limited  portion  of  the  body  or  of  any  of  its  tissues. 

Gas — A  fluid  in  the  form  of  air. 

Gastric — Pertaining  to  the  stomach. 

Gelatine — Animal  jelly. 

Genital — Relating  to  reproduction  or  generation. 

Gland— A  structure  for  the  purpose  of  secreting  or  separating  some  particular 

•  material. 
Glottis — The  narrow  opening  at  the  top  of  the  windpipe. 

Habitat — The  natural  abode  or  locality  of  an  animaL     - 

H^MAL — Relating  to  blood. 

H^matin — The  coloring  matter  of  blood. 

Hemorrhage — An  escape  of  blood  from  the  vessels. 

Haw — An  organ  in  the  eye  of  the  horse  that  throws  the  washer  over  the  eye. 

Haunch — The  hip ;  the  upper  part  of  the  thigh  bone. 

Hepatic — Belonging  to  the  liver. 


GLOSSARY  OF  SCIENTIFIC  AND  TECHNICAL  TERMS.   577 

Hepatized — Turned  into  a  substance  resembling  liver. 

Hereditary — Acquired  from  ancestors;  transmitted  from  parent  to  ofFspring. 

Humerus — The  upper  bone  of  the  fore-leg. 

Ileum — The  lower  portion  of  the  small  intestine. 
Incision — A  cutting  into;  a  cut. 

Infection — The  communication  of  disease  by  means  of  the  miasma  or  emana- 
tion from  a  diseased  body. 
Ingested — Things  taken  in.     Applied  to  food. 
Inject — .To  throw  in.  " 

Induration — Hardening. 

Interstice — A  small  space  between  the  particles  of  a  body. 
Intestines — The  alimentary  canal  from  the  stomach  to  its  termination. 

Jejunum — A  part  of  the  small  intestine.  , 

Lachrymal — ^Pertaining  to  tears. 

Lacteal — Conveying  milk,  or  a  fluid  like  milk.  Applied  to  the  vessels  which 
take  up  the  chyle  from  the  alimentary  canal  and  convey  it  to  the  thoracic 
duct. 

Laryngitis — Inflammation  of  the  larynx. 

Larynx — The  enlarged  upper  part  of  the  windpipe  extending  into  the  throat. 

Laxative — Loosening;  mildly  purgative. 

Lesion — Any  hurt  or  injury;  disease  of  structure. 

Ligament — That  which  bends  together;  a  fibrous  structure  connecting  bones. 

Ligature — A  band;  the  act  of  binding;  a  cord  or  string  used  for  tying  blood- 
vessels. 

Lobe — A  part  or  division  of  an  organ,  as  of  the  brain,  lungs,  or  liver. 

Lymph — A  transparent  and  nearly  colorless  fluid  which  is  conveyed  into  the 
blood  by  the  lymphatic  vessels. 

Malady — Disease,  distemper,  ailment. 
Malar — Pertaining  to  the  cheek  bone. 
Mediastinum — The  partition  formed  by  the  meeting  of  the  pleura  dividing  the 

chest  into  two  lateral  parts. 
Membrane — An  animal  tissue  expanded  into  a  thin  layer. 
Mesentery — The  fold,  or  membrane,  which  attaches  the  intestines  to  the  spine. 
Metastasis — A  transference  of  diseases  from  one  place  to  another. 
Molar — Grinding.    Applied  to  the  large  double-teeth  with  which  the  food  is 

ground. 
Morbid — Relating  to  disease ;  diseased. 
Mucus — The  slimy  substance  eff'used  on  the  surface  of  the  membranes  covering 

the  inner  surface  of  the  body. 
Muscle — An  organ  by  which  the  active  movements  of  the  body  are  produced; 

the  lean  meat 

37 


"/^, 


578  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Nasal — Belonging  to  the  nose. 

Nausea — A  disgust  for  food,  with  inclination  to  vomit. 

Navicular — A  bone  in  the  foot  shaped  like  a  boat. 

Nephritis — Pain  or  inflammation  in  the  kidneys. 

Nerve — A  bundle  of  white  fibers,  whose  ofl&ce  it  is  to  convey  sensations  to  the 

brain. 
Normal— According  to  rule ;  regular. 
Nutrition — The  process  by  which  animals  appropriate  to  their  repair  or  growth 

materials  taken  from  external  substances. 

Obesity — Excessive  fatness. 

Ocular — Relating  to  the  eyes. 

Omentum — The  caul ;  a  fold  of  the  peritoneal  membrane  covering  the  intestines 

in  front. 
Optic — Relating  to  the  eye,  to  sight,  or  to  the  laws  of  vision. 
Organ — A  natural  instrument  by  which  some  process  or  function  is  carried  on. 
Osseous — Formed  of,  or  resembling  bone. 
Ossify — To  form  bone;  to  become  bone. 

Pabulum — Food. 

Pachydermata — Thick-skinned  animals,  as  the  horse. 

Palate — The  roof  of  the  mouth. 

Panacea — A  medicine  supposed  to  cure  all  diseases. 

Pancreas — A  narrow,  flat  gland  extending  across  the  abdomen,  known  familiarly 

as  the  callet,  or  sweet  bread. 
Paroxysji — A  fit  of  any  disease  coming  on  after  a  period  of  intermission. 
Parturition — The  act  of  bringing  forth  young. 
Patella — The  knee-pan. 
Pathology — The  branch  of  medical  knowledge  which  treats  of  the  nature  and 

constitution  qf  disease. 
Pectoral  —Relating  or  belonging  to  the  breast 
Peptic — Promoting  digestion. 

Pericardium — The  serous  membrane  around  the  heart. 
Perichondrium — The  membrane  covering  the  cartilages.        I 
Pericranium — The  membrane  lining  the  bones  of  the  skull. 
Periosteum — The  fibrous  membrane  which  invests  a  bone. 
Peritoneum — The  serous  membrane  which  lines  the  cavity  of  the  abdomen. 
Permeate — To  pass  through  without  rupture  or  apparent  displacement. 
Pharynx — The  muscular  tube  at  the  back  part  of  the  mouth  which  leads  to  the 

gullet. 
Phlebotomy — The  act  or  art  of  blood-letting. 
Plasma — The  colorless  part  of  the  blood. 
Plethoric — Having  a  full  habit  of  body. 
Pleura — The  serous  membrane  which  lines  the  interior  of  the  chest  and  covers 

the  lungs. 
Plsxus — A  net- work  of  vessels. 


GLOSSARY  OF  SCIENTIFIC  AND  TECHNICAL  TERMS.   579 

Process — A  prominence,  or  projecting  part. 

PROGNOSis-^The  art  of  judging  of  the  course  ana  event  of  a  disease  by  the 

symptoms. 
Prolapsus  Uteri — A  falling  of  the  womb. 
Prolapsus  Recti — A  falling  of  the  rectum. 
Pulmonary — Relating  to  the  lungs. 
Pulsate — To  beat,  or  throb. 
Purgative — Having  the  power  of  cleansing. 

Pus — A  peculiar  fluid  yielded  from  the  blood  in  conseqence  of  inflammatiDn. 
Pylorus — The  part  of  the  stomach  through  which  the  food  passes  to  the  intestine. 

Quiescent — Reing  at  rest ;  having  no  sound. 

Rabies — The  disease  known  as  hydrophobia. 

Rachitis — Inflammation  of  the  spine ;  rickets. 

Ramify — To  make  branches. 

Raphe — A  term  applied  to  parts  that  look  as  if  sewed  together. 

Rarefy — To  make  or  become  thin. 

Receptacle — 1  hat  which  receives  or  contains. 

Rectum — The  last  part  of  the  large  intestine. 

Remittent — Ceasing  for  a  time. 

Reproduction — The  art  or  process  of  producing  again. 

Respiration — Breathing. 

Retina — The  part  of  the  eye  upon  which  the  image  is  formed  in  the  act  of  vision. 

Rickets— Diseased  state  of  the  bones. 

Sacral — Belonging  to  the  os  sacrum. 

Saline — Salty. 

Saliva — The  spittle  or  secretion  of  the  salivary  glands. 

Sanguification — The  making  of  blood;  the  process  by  which  blood  is  produced 

from  chyle. 
Sanitary — Relating  or  conducing  to  the  preservation  of  health. 
Sciatica — A  painful  rheumatic  aff'ection  of  the  hip. 

Sclerotic — Hard ;  a  name  given  to  the  thick,  white,  outer  coat  of  the  eye. 
Secrete — To  separate  some  peculiar  substance  from  the  blood. 
Sensorium — The  seat  of  sensation ;  the  organ  which  receives  the  impressions. 
SEPTic-ir-Promotiug  putrefaction. 

Serum — The  yellowish  fluid  which  is  left  after  the  coagulation  of  blood. 
Shank — The  bone  of  the  leg  from  the  knee  to  the  ankle. 
Slough — To  fall  ofi";  to  separate  by  disease. 
Spinal — Belonging  to  the  spine,  or  back-bone. 

Splint — A  hard  excrescence  on  the  shank-bone — one  of  the  bones  of  the  hind  leg. 
Sporadic — Separate;  scattered. 
Sternum — The  breast-bone. 

Strangulated — Choked;  having  the  circulation  stopped  in  any  part. 
Styptic — Astringents;  having  the  property  of  restraining  bleeding. 


580  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 

Sudorific — Causing  sweat,  or  perspiration. 

Suppuration — The  process  of  the  formation  of  pus  as  a  result  of  inflammatioii 
Synovia — A  fluid  resembling  the  white  of  an  egg,  secreted  in  the  cavity  of  joints 
for  the  purpose  of  moistening  them. 

Tegument — A  cover  or  covering — usually  the  skin. 

Tendon — The  dense,  fibrous  structure  in  which  a  muscle  ends,  and  by  which  it 

is  fastened  to  the  bone. 
Tenuity— Thinness. 
Tk&qal — Belonging  to  the  back. 

Testicle — The  glands  which  contain  the  seminal  fluid. 
Therapeutic — Healing ;  pertaining  to  the  art  of  healing. 
Thorax — The  chest,  or  part  of  the  body  between  the  neck  and  the  abdomen. 
Tibia — The  largest  bone  of  the  hind  leg. 
Tonsil — An  oblong  gland  situated  on  each  side  of  the  fauces,  or  posterior  part 

of  the  mouth.  * 

ToRTiON — Twisting. 
Trachea — The  windpipe. 
Tractile — Capable  of  being  drawn  out. 
Tuber — A  rounded  projection  of  a  bone. 
Tumor — A  permanent  swelling  or  enlargement. 

Ulna — The  upper  bone  of  the  fore-leg. 
Urinary— Pertaining  to  the  urine. 

Vascular — Belonging  to  or  consisting  of  vessels.  ^ 

Venesection — The  operation  of  letting  blood  by  opening  a  vein. 
Ventral — Pertaining  to  the  belly. 
Venous — Pertaining  to  the  veins. 

Vertebra — A  divison  or  separate  bone  of  the  spinal  column. 
Vesicle — A  small  blister;  any  small  membranous  cavity. 
Virulent — Very  poisonous. 

Virus — Poison ;  the  essential  matter  of  a  disease  that  is  capable  of  communica- 
tion. 
Viscera — The  organs  contained  in  the  cavities  of  the  body. 
Viscid — Gluey,  glutinous,  sticky. 
Vulnerary — Useful  in  healing  wounds. 


^::^ 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


A  PAGES 

Albumen,  eiftect  on  muscles.. 31 

do.        color  of 32 

Arteries 355 

do.     anatomy  of 44,  356 

Esophagus 59 

Absorbents 63 

Anus 65 

do.   soreness  and  itching  of. 326 

do.    treatment 327 

Amaurosis -. 178 

Apoplexy 247 

do.      horse  subject  to 247 

do.      symptoms  of.....  248,  250,  251 

do.      cause  of 248 

do.      blindness  caused  by 249 

do.       treatment  of 249 

Abuses  of  the  horse,  479;  overwork- 
ing, 481;  beating,  482;  cut- 
ting and  slitting  the  ears  of  484 
Age  of  the  horse  indicated  by  the 

teeth 470-475 

do.  means  of  determining  when 

more  than  nine  years 476 

do.  as  indicated  by  the  lips 478 

do.  do.  by  the  hair 478 

do.  do.  by  the  chin  and 

eyes 479 

Acids 388 

Alkalies 388 

Arachnoid  membrane 55 

B 

Bedding  for  horses 425 

Bronchitis 296 


PAGES 

Belladonna 390 

Black  hellebore 392 

Bites  of  snakes 323 

Buffalo  gnat 397 

do.         terrors  of 397 

do.         protection  against 398 

Borer  worm. 398 

do.         terrors  of 398,  399 

do.         bunch  caused  by  398,  399 

do.         treatment  of 400 

Beach  horses 17,  18 

Bowels,  anatomy  of 316 

do.,      inflammation  of 317 

do.       diagnosis  of 317 

do.       treatment  of 319 

Bones,  description  of 25-28 

do.      of  the  head 27 

do.      of  fore  leg 26 

do.      of  hind  leg 26,27 

Big  head — (See  Exostosis.) 

Bile,  flow  of 328 

Bloody  urine,  treatment  of. 335 

Blood,  diseases  of 352 

do.     elements  of 42 

Bleeding,  defense  of 366-7-8-9 

do.        effects  of  in  horse  differ- 
ent from  those  in  man  368 

do.         Youatt  on 369,  370 

do.        rules  concerning 370 

do.        amount  of 371 

do.        proper  place  and  man- 
ner of 371 

do.         directions  for 372 

Bladder,  inflammation  of. 340 

(581) 


582 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


PAGES 

Bladder,  stones  in 337 

Breathing,  difficulty  of 290 

Bellows,  or  broken  wind 291 

do.        treatment  of 292 

Brain,  anatomy  of 51,  62,  53 

do.       comparative  size  of 52 

do,      diseases  of 246 

do.      water  on 246 

do.      inflammation  of 263 

Blindness,  caused  by  apoplexy 249 

Blind  teeth 265 

Blind  staggers * 118 

do.  prevalence  of 118 

do.  ignorance  regarding 

118,119 

do.          absurd  theories  re- 
garding   119 

do.          real  cau^e  of....  120,  121 
do.          symptoms  of....  122,  123 
do.          old  modes  of  treat- 
ment   124 

do.  proper  treatment 

127-129 

Blue  beef  and  sticky  beef 32 

Bronchial  tubes 57 

Bog  and  blood  spavin,  location  of  193 

do.    treatment 194 

Blanketing... 428 

Breeding,  common  method  execra- 
ble   436 

do.        horse  should  have  more 
exercise  and  be  taxed 
less  frequently...  436,  437 
do.       how  to  secure  improve- 
ment in 439 

Breaking,  common  method. 496 

do.        best  time  for 498 

.  do.       best  way  of 499 

do.        Rarey  method  of. 506 

do.        Rarey  halter  for 607 

do.        Rarey  knee-strap  for 608 

do.        use  of  drugs  in 508 

do.       Rarey  leg-strap  for 610 

Biting 553 

Balking  and  backing 555 


C  PAGES 

Corns.... 109 

do.  ignorance  regarding 109 

do.  treatment  of 110 

do.  cases  of 110,  111 

Contractions  of  the  hoof Ill 

do.  indications  of  111,  112 

do.  treatment  of. 112 

Calkins 441 

Clips 442 

Corrosive  liniment 663 

do.  caut'n  regard'g  564 

Colt,  the  one-year-old A 502 

do.    should  be  trained  for  the  serv- 
ice to  be  required  of  him.  ,.  500 

do.    time  of  weaning 448 

do.    treatment  after  weaning 448 

do.    diseases  of 349 

do.    treatment  of  diseases 350-852 

do.    founder 843 

do.    should    be    well    housed    in 

winter 449 

do.    proper  food  of 450 

do.    hereditary  diseases  of. 450 

Crossing 453 

Castrating,  proper  age  for 445 

do.         method  of... 466 

do.         best  time  for 457 

do.         practice   of   twitching  458 

Caecum 322,  64 

Cutis 36 

do.  situation  of,  use,  and  color....     36 

Cuticle,  function  of 36 

Cuticular  lining  of  the  stomach  61,  62 

Chewing  the  reins 566 

Circulation  of  blood 43,  44,  355 

Caustic  salve  and  wash 567 

Coagulum 42 

Cerebrum 51 

Cerebellum 51 

Colon 64 

do.   inflammation  and  rupture  of  325 

do.   treatment  of 322,  326 

Capillaries 43 

Caul 65 

Cardiac  orifice 60 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


583 


PAGES 

Cataract 177 

Catarrh 137 

Cantharides 386 

Cardiac  sac 61 

Caul. 65 

Cellular  tissue  of  legs... 223,  224 

Centipede,  sting  of 395 

Chest,  diseases  of. 295,  296 

Chloroform 320 

Cleaning  and  currying  the  horse, 

necessity  of 424 

do.         Youatt  on 425 

do.         should  be  done  out  of 

doors,  if  possible...  426 

Clyster,  usefulness  of 381 

do.        administering 381 

Colds 277 

do.    cause  of 279,280,281 

do.    prevention  of. 281 

Colic 310 

do.  diagnosis  of 312,  317 

Consumption 301 

Contraction  of  the  hoof. Ill 

do.  do.      symptoms 

of...  Ill,  112 
do.  do.       treatment 

of 112 

Copperas 387 

Corn  as  horse  feed 412,  413 

do.    bad  effgcts  from  use  of...  413,  414 

Corns 109 

do.    ignorance  regarding 109 

do.    treatment  of. 110 

do.   cases  of 110,111 

Corrosive  sublimate 388 

Coughs,  cause  of 285,  286,  287 

do.      treatment  of 287,  288,  289 

Cracked  heels 104,  219-223 

do.      cause  of. 104,  105 

do.       treatment  of 105,  106,  107 

do.       time  to  cure 107 

Cramps 205,  206 

Creosote 388 

Crib-sucking 270 

Crotonoil 389 


PAGES 

Curb 197 

D 

Deadly  nightshade 390 

Decay  of  teeth 266 

Defects  of  the  eye 558 

do.  do.         best    modes    to 

detect 658 

Defects  of  the  feet 559 

Defects  of  the  respiratory  organs  560 

Defects  of  stomach  and  bowels 560 

Diabetes,  its  nature  and  treatment  334 

Diet 32 

Difficulty  of  breathing 290 

Dimness  of  vision 181 

Diseased  eyes,  and  treatment  of...  173 
Diseases  of  the  liver  and  urinary 

organs '. 328 

do.      of  young  colts 349 

do.      of  the  heart  and  blood 349 

do.      of  the  teeth  and  mouth...  260 

do.      of  the  throat 277 

do.      of  the  chest  and  lungs...  295 

do.      of  the  skin 216-242 

do.      of  the  stomach  and  bowels  307 

Disinfectants 429 

Distemper 158 

do.        symptoms  of 159,160 

do.        contagiousness  of 160 

do.        treatment  of...  160,  161,  162 

Distemper  mixture 568 

Docking 488 

Drench,  rule  for  preparation  of..^.  379 

do.      compared  with  pills 379 

do.      improper  use  of 378 

do.      best  method  of  using 379 

Duodenum 63 

Dura  mater 65 

E 
Ears,  injuries  to 242 

do.         do.         results  of.....  242-248 

do.    sore 243,244 

do.    indication  of  mental  state...  485 
Englishman,  the,  and  the  Yankee.  148 


584 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


PAGES 

Enlarged  glands 282 

Epilepsy 253 

Epidermis 35 

Epiglottis 57 

Excretion 58 

Exercise,  necessity  of 431 

do.       cautions  regarding 431 

do.       Youatton 433 

Exhortation  to  the  owners  of  horses 

150,  151 
Exostosis,  history  and  prevalence 

of 69 

do.        ignorance  regarding....     70 

do.        causes  of. 70-75 

do.        symptoms  of 77 

do.        treatment  of. 78-81 

do.         former   modes  of  treat- 
ment of. V 81-83 

Eyes,  anatomy  of 165-167 

do.     weakness  of 150,  151 

Eye-wash 568 

Eyelids,  sore 174 

\ 

V 

Farcy 152 

do.    Youatt's  account  of. 153-157 

do.    cause  of 157 

do.    treatment  of 458 

Fattening  does  not  increase  ani- 
mal's strength 30 

do.       effects  of,   on  skin   and 

hair 31 

Feet,  anatomy  of 41 

do.    defects  of 559 

Fever,  cause  and  prevention  of.  360,  361 

do     treatment  of 363 

Fibrine 31 

Fistula,  cause  of 184 

do.      treatment  of 185-187 

do.      remarkable  cases  of.  187-189 
do.       former  modes  of  treatment 

of 189,190 

Fits — (See  Epilepsy) 

Flatulent  colic 323 

do.         treatment  of 324 


PAOKH 

Flexor  tendon 41 

Flooring  of  stables 421 

Fodder,  best  grasses  for 408-410 

do.      manner  of  securing 410 

Food,  observations  on 401-414 

Food  should  be  apportioned  ac- 
cording to  work,  season, 
and  general  condition.  402,  403 

do.     objectioijs  to  corn  as 412,  413 

Food-balls,  administration  of 381 

do.    composition  of 382 

Foul  sheath 341 

Founder,   common  theory  regard- 
ing, erroneous 113 

Fracture  of  the  skull 525 

do.        of  the  nasal  bones 526 

do.        of  the  ribs 526 

do.        of  the  limbs 527 

« 

do.        setting  bones  in  case  of.  531 
do.        treatment  of  wound  in 

case  of. 582 

Frog,  injuries  to 112 

6 

Gadflies 896 

Ganglia 54 

Gastric  fluid 62 

General  stable  management 415 

Gentling 496-501 

Glanders,  cause  of 130-140 

do.        stages  of. 132-136 

do.       different  from  strangles.  137 
do.  do.      from  catarrh...  137 

do.        hereditary 144 

do.       contagious 144 

do.       cleanliness  a  prevention 

of 148 

Glanders  in  human  beings 148 

do.        antidote  for 149 

do.        ventilation  a  prevention 

of 141-150 

do.        treatment  of 149 

do.       remarkable  case  of.  151,  152 

Glands,  general  remarks  on 58 

do.      enlargement  of 282 


GENERAL  INDEX 


585 


PAGES 

Glass  eye 178 

Gleet~-(See  Nasal  Gleet.) 

Gnats .'..,. 396 

Grain,  quantity  to, be  fed  to  horses.  411 

do.     comparative  value  of  oats 

and  corn 411 

Grasses,  remarks  on 405-406 

do.      relative  value  of. 406-408 

Gravel,  origin  of. 337 

do,      symptoms  of 337 

do.      treatment  of 338 

Grease 158 

do.     (See  Cracked  Heels.) 

Green  feed  for  winter 414,  415 

Grub 313 

Gutta  Serena *. 178 

H 

Haematurea 335 

Hair,  remarks  on  the....  35,  39,  40,  478 

Haw 179 

do.  inflammation  of 180 

do.  treatment  of. 181 

Hay  and  fodder,  grasses  best  for...  408 

Heart,  location  of. 47 

do.     function  of. 47 

do.     diseases  of. 353-355 

Heaves 291 

Hide-bound 233 

do.        cause  and  treatment  of.  234 

Hock-joint 26 

Hoofs 25 

do.     color  of,  in  health 107 

do.     paring  of 548 

Hoof-rot 107 

do.      cause  of. 107 

»  do.      results  of. 108 

do.      symptoms  of 108 

do.      treatment  of - 108 

Hooks 179 

Hornets,  stinging  of. 396 

Horse,  nativity  of,  preliminary  re- 
marks on  the 11-14 

do.    diseases  of  the 14 

do.    deterioration  of  the 16 

38 


PAGES 

Horse,  longevity  of  the 19 

do.    description  of  the  proper,  for 

breeding 441 

do.    hints    concerning     the    se- 
lection of  the 443 

do.    saddle 517 

do.    carriage 518 

do.    draught 519 

do.    roadster : 521 

do.    vices  of  the 551 

do.    unsoundnesses  of  the 551 

Hydrophobia — (See  Rabies.) 

Hypertrophy 354 

I 

In-and-in  breeding 18,  19 

Infection,  means  of. 131 

Inflammation  of  bowels 66 

do.  do.     lungs 298 

do.  do.    blood, 369 

do.  do.     brain 257-259 

do.  do.     bladder ,....  340 

,do.  do.        do.      treatment 

of. 332 

do.  do.     feet 113 

do.  do.     do.  c  a  u  s  e   and 

symptoms 
of...  113-115 
do.  do.     kidneys,  cause  of.  332 

do.  do.         do.         sympt's 

of. 333 

do.  do.        dp.        treatm't 

of. 333 

Inflammation  and  rupture  of  colon.  325 
do.  and  bleeding  of  the 

rectum 326 

Injuries  to  the  ears 242 

Insanity 269 

Intestines,  anatomy  of 62 

Involuntary  motion,  nerves  of. 63 

Itching  of  anus 326 

J 

Jaundice,  symptoms  of. 330 

do.       treatment  of 331 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK 


PAGES 

Jimson  seed,  use  of 79,  569 

Jejunum 64 

E 

Kicking 551 

do.      how  learned 552 

do.      danger  from 552 

do.      in  the  saddle  and  in  har- 
ness   552 

do.      remedy  for 552 

Kidneys 67 

do.      function  of. 67 

do.      inflammation  of. 332 

I,  » 

Lampas,  cause  and  symptoms  of...  274 
do.       treatment  of. 275 

Laryngitis 283 

do.        to  discover 284 

do.        treattnent  of 284 

Larynx 56 

Light,  importance  of,  in  stable 417 

do.    degree  of. 418 

Lips 478 

Liver,  situation  of. 65 

do.    function  of 66,328 

do.     liability  of,  to  disease 66 

do.     condition  of,  as   shown  in 

post-mortem  examination.  329 

Looked-jaw — (See  Tetanus.) 

Lungs. 46 

do.     anatomy  of. 55 

do.    diseases  of. 259,295 

M 

Madness — (See  Rabies.) 

Magic  nerve  liniment,  preparation 

of 565 

do.  do.         use  of. 565 

Malignant  epidemic 289 

do.  do.      symptoms  of..  289 

do.  do.      case  of. 290 

Mange,  iature  of. 229 

do.     cause  and  symptoms  of.  230,231 
do.     contagion  from 230 


PAQE» 

Mange,  time  required  to  cure 231 

do.      treatment  of 231,  232 

do.     ho^.to  prevent   infection 

from 233 

Mare,  proper  form  of 444 

do.     vitality  a  requisite  in  the...  444 
do.    opposite  qualities  should  be 

paired 444 

do.     proper  age  for  breeding 445 

do.     management  of,  when  with 

foal 445 

do.    proper  food  and  labor  for, 

when  suckling 447 

do.     should  not  breed  to  a  horse 

after  having  bred  to  a  jack.  460 

Marks  of  age.. 468 

May-apple  liniment,  use  of....  41,42,564 
do.  do.        preparation  of.  564 

May-apple  root 392 

Medical  preparations  used  in  this 

work 562-571 

Medicine,  in  the  food 380 

do.        modes  of  giving 378 

Membranes,  distribution  of. 34 

do.  use  of 35 

do.  serous 35 

do.  medullary 52 

do.  mediastinum..: 35 

do.  dura  mater 55 

do.  arachnoid 55 

do.  pia  mater 55 

do.  pleura 55 

Mercurial  salve,  preparation  of.....  666 

do.        do.     use  of 566 

Mesenteric  artery  and  veins 65 

Moon-eyes,  symptoms,  etc.,  of 75 

Mouth,  diseases  of  the 260 

Mule,  the,  superiority  of,  for  South- 
em  use 458 

do.  health  and  capacity  of, 
for  service  compared 
with  the  horse....  459,  461 

do.       economy  in  feeding 459 

do.       comparative  certainty  in 

breeding 460 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


587 


PAGES 

Mule,  the,  prejudice  regarding 461 

do.      breaking  of. 623 

Muscles,  anatomy  of. 29 

do.        sensibility  and  quality  of 

the 30 

N 
Narrow  heel — (See  contraction  of 
hoof.) 

Nasal  gleet,  symptoms  of. 162 

do.         treatment  of 163 

Naturally  weak  eyes 169 

Nephritis 332 

Nerves  of  voluntary  motion 63 

do.      sympathetic 64 

Nervous  system,  diseases  of 246 

Nicking 486 

Nitric  acid 667 

do.        caution  regarding 668 

Nostrils,  function  of  the 66 

Nux  vomica 386 

0 

Oil  sacks  of  hock-joint..., 192 

do.       rupture  of. 193 

Omentum 65 

Ophthalmia... 176,  177 

Overreaching  and  interfering 657 

facing  mare 16-18 

Palsy,  cause  of. 266 

do.      treatment  of. 267 

Pancreas 66,  67 

Panniculous  carnosus 37 

Pasturing,  remarks  on 404 

do.         the  best  medicine 404 

Perspiration 38 

Phrenitis — (See    Inflammation    of 
the  brain.) 

Pill 380 

Pleurisy , 306 

Pneumonia 298 

Poisons,  poisonous  snakes,  insects, 

etc 383 


PAGES 

Poisons,  comparative  effects  of,  on 

horse  and  man 383 

do.       as  medicines 383-391 

do.       external 392 

do.       animal 393-400 

Poison  oak 392 

Pores 36,  48 

do.     function  of  the 49 

Profuse  stalling 334 

Pulling  at  the  halter  and  breaking 

away 656 

Pulmonary  circulation 46 

Pulse 60 

do.  importance   of  attention    to 

the 374 

do.  most  convenient  place  to  feel 

the 175 

do.  natural  standard  for  the 375 

do.  variation  in  the 376 

do.  indications    of,    concerning 

bleeding 376 

Pylorus,  orifice  and  sacV^r. 61 

R 

Rabies 262 

Racing,  remarks  on 487 

Radius 26 

Rearing... 664 

Rectum 65 

do.     inflammation  and  bleeding 

of  the 326 

do.     treatment  of  the 326 

Resin .*. 670 

Respiration 67 

Respiratory  organs,  defects  of  the.  660 

Rete  mucosum 36 

Rheumatism,  cause  of. 206,  207 

do.  remarkable  cases  of. 

207-210 

do.  treatment  of. 211 

Ribs 28 

Roaring 293,  294 

Running  away 555 

Running  sumach 393 


588 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


S  PAGES 

Saddle-galls 240 

do.        treatment  for 241 

Saddle-horse,  what  best  suited  for.  516 

Sand-crack 104 

Scab  from  the  horse's  leg 570 

Scarf-skin 35 

Scaring 654 

Scratches,  symptoms  and  treatment 

of. 217 

Scrofula 358,  369 

Scurvy  of  the  teeth ^ 268 

Secretion  defined 58 

Serum 42 

Shedding 260-263 

do.      treatment  during 264 

Shoeing,  its  origin 534 

do.        a  necessary  evil 534 

do.        Youatt's    directions    for. 

535,  547 
do.  preparation  of  the  foot  for.  535 
do.        preparing  the  hoof  for....  536 

do.        putting  on  the  shoe 639 

do.        the  hinder  shoe 543 

do.        different  kinds  of  shoes...  543 

do.       bar  shoe 545 

do.        changing  the  shoes,  and 

time  of  wearing  them...  649 

Sit-fasts 240 

Skin,  function  of 35 

do.    diseases  of 216-242 

do.    of  the  heel ^ 220 

do.    oil  glands  of  the 37,  40 

Small  intestine 63 

Snake  bites 394 

Sore  eyelids 174 

Sore  nose,  cause  of 239 

do.        treatment  of 240 

Spanish  flies 386 

Spasms,  frequency  of '.  211 

do.      of  the  nerves,   skin,  and 

muscles 211 

do.      treatment  of. 212 

Spider  bites 394 

Spinal  column 53 

Spleen 67 


PAGES 

Spleen,  enlargement  of  the 331 

Spurious  cataract 177 

Stable  management 415,  416 

Stallion,  desirable  qualities  of,  for 

breeding 440 

Stinging  scorpions 395 

StiflF  complaint 234 

Siock  farms,  fault  of 468 

do.  trees  in  pastures  of, 
and  stable  accom- 
modations on 465 

do.  blackberry  bushes  in 

the  pastures  of. 466 

do.  small  fields  are  better 

than  large  ones....  466 
do.  colts  of  different  ages 

should  be  kept  in 

separate  fields 466 

do.  water  in 466 

Stock-raising 435 

Stomach,  anatomy  of. 60,  61 

do.       diseases  of. 307 

do.       size  and  capacity  of. 307 

do.      oflBce  of  the 308 

do.       defects  of  the 560 

Stone-bruise,  evidence  of. 112 

Stones  in  the  bladder 337 

Strangles 137 

String-halt,  or  spring-halt. 212 

do.         seat  of 212 

do.         symptoms  of. 213 

do.         effects    of    as    ascer- 
tained by  dissection. 

213,  214 

Stump-sucking 271,  2T2 

do.  case  of. 272 

do.  treatment  for 278 

Sulphate  of  iron 387 

Sulphur 670 

Sulphur  ointment,  preparation  of...  566 

do.  do.        use  of. 566 

Suppression  of  urine 339 

Surfeit 228 

do.     cause  and  symptoms  of.  228,  229 
do.    treatment  of. 229 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


S89 


PAGES 

Swelled  ankles,  symptoms  of.  226,  227 

do.        do.      result  of. 227 

do.         do.       treatment  for 227 

Swelled  legs 223 

do.       do.  symptoms  of 224 

do.       do.  the  cause  and  effect  of 

other  diseases 224 

do.       do.  primary  cause  of. 225 

do.       do.  treatment  of 225 

do.       do.  case  of. 226 

Swelled  throat 282 

Sympathetic  system  of  ganglia 55 

T 

Tar 389 

Tartar  emetic 389 

Teeth,  diseases  of  the 260 

do.    appearance  of,  at  different 

ages 468-478 

do.    appearance  of,  modified  by 

art 478 

'    do.    decay  of. 266 

do.    scurvy  of. 268-270 

Teething 260-263,  464 

Temperature  of  stables 418 

do.  changes  of. 427 

Tender  feet— (See  Hoof-rot) 107 

Tendons,    function   and    anatomy 

of. 33 

Tetanus 198 

do.     cause  of. 199,  200 

do.     treatment  of. 201 

do.     remarkable  case  of. 203 

Thick  blood,  cause  of 364 

Thick  wind 291,  293 

Thin  blood 365 

Thorough-pin....'. 197 

Throat 68 

do.     diseases  of. 277 

do.     swelled 282 

Thrush 218 

do.     prevention  of. 219 

do.     treatment  of. 219 

Thumps 385 

do.      case  of. 386 


PAGES 

Thumps,  treatment  of 387 

Tibia 26 

Tissues,  pulmonary 166 

Tobacco 888 

Toothache 366 

Trachea 157 

Turk 172 

Turpentine 389 

Twitching 457 

U 

Unsoundness 561,  598 

Urinary  organs 66,  561 

Urine,  bloody " 335 

do.     thick  or  albuminous 335 

do.     limy 336 

do.     suppression  of , 339 

V 
Veins 43,  44 

Venomous  spiders,  bites  of. 394 

Ventilation  of  stables 418 

Vermin,  cause  and  treatment  of...  244 

Vices 551 

do.    learned  in  colthood 500 

W 

Warbles 240 

Warts 236 

do.    description  of. 236 

do.    treatment  of. 237-239 

Wasps,  stings  of 396 

Water,  office  of,  in  nutrition 11 

do.     on  the  brain 246 

Weak  eyes  not  hereditary 171 

Wheezing 298 

Whitleather,  inflammation  of  the. 

(See  Fistula)...  184,  185 
do  remarkable    cases 

of. 187 

do*  former     modes    of 

treatment 189 

White  hellebore 391 

Wind-galhs 194 


590 


AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 


PAGES 

Wind-galls,  cause  and  treatment 

of. 196,196 

Windpipe 57 

Wind-sucking  271 


,  PAGES 

Y 

Yellows * : 330 

Young  horses  most  liable  to  take 

diseases 171 


TABLE  OF  SYMPTOMS 


"       FACILITATE   THE    DETECTION    OF   DISEASE. 


The  subjoined  table  presents  a  classified  view  of  the  prin- 
cipal diseases  to  which  the  horse  is  subject,  together  with 
brief  summaries  of  the  symptoms  of  those  disorders  the 
nature  of  which  is  not  clearly  expressed  in  the  name.  The 
symptoms  are  arranged  in  the  order  in  which  they  usually 
manifest  themselves  in  the  patient,  and  thus  indicate  the 
different  stages  of  the  disease.  The  numbers  indicate  the 
pages  upon  which  the  various  diseases  are  flilly  discussed : 

DISEASES  OP  THE  BONES. 

(Page  69—99.) 

Big  Head  —  Swelling  of  under  jaw  and  nasal  bone,  and  afterward  of  other 
bones  of  the  head;  skin  and  muscles  of  the  head  become  fixed,  and  will  not 
move  by  pulling  the  lips;  constant  sleepiness  while  standing;  gaunt  appear- 
ance, drooping  of  head,  placing  hind  and  fore-feet  near  together,  watery  eyes, 
%rect  hair,  stiff  joints,  dry  skin;  excrement  hard  and  dry 69 

SwiNNET,  OR  Inflammation  of  the  Shoulder. — Inflammation,  heat,  lameness 
in  the  shoulder ;  step,  short  and  limping ;  flesh,  hard ;  skin,  closely  adherent  to 
the  bone;  shoulder  becomes  shrunken  and  shriveled;  patient  reluctant  to  lie 
down;  finally,  shoulder-blade  descends,  humerus  joint  swells,  and  the  disease 
becomes  incurable.  Swinney  is  usually  accompanied  by  diseased  feet,  espe- 
cially hoof-rot 84 

(691) 


592                   AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 
Big  Shouxdkr.— Aggravated  Swinney.     (See  preceding  paragraph.) 87 

SWINNBY  OF  THE  HiP 88 

Slipped  oe  Broken  Hip 88 

Bone  Spavin.— Enlargement  upon  the  inside  of  the  hock,  just  below  the 
joint 89 

Enlarged  Hock 93 

Broken  Hock....; .-. - 94 

Ring-bone. — Bony  enlargement  around  the  lower  joint  of  the  hock  where  the 
hoof  and  hide  join.    Ring-bone  in  its  worst  form  becomes  club-foot 94 

Stifle. — Swelling  at  the  stifle-joint,  producing  lameness... 95 

Splint. — Enlargement  of  the  inner  splinUbone,  like  Spavin 96 

Broken  Knkbs 97 

Swat  Back 98 

DISEASES  OF  THE  FEET. 

(Page  100—117.) 

Ulceration  op  the  Foot,  or  Navicular  Joint  Disease. — Occasional  limping, 
as  if  pricked  by  a  nail;  ulceration  of  Navicular  bone,  or  else  slow  decay;  hoof 
shrinks;  portions  toward  the  back  of  the  foot  drawn  together;  bone  enlarge^, 
as  in  Spavin  and  Ring-bone;  Navicular  bone  adheres  to  lower  pastern  and 
coffin-bone,  the  three  finally  uniting  and  swelling  inordinately .^ 100 

Cracked  Hoof « 104 

HooF-ROT. — Tenderness  of  foot;  dry,  chalky-looking  substance  formed  in 
bottom  of  foot;  frog,  diminished  in  size;  ankle-joint,  swollen;  step,  short  and 
limping 107 

Corns 109 

Contraction  of  Hoof,  or  Narrow  Heel Ill 

Injuries  of  the  Frog .' 112 

Founder. — Restlessness  and  firequent  shifbings  of  the  fore-feet;  pulse,  quick 


TABLE  OF  SYMPTOMS.  *-  593 

and  strong;  nostrils  red  and  florid;  expression,  anxious  and  wo-begone;  grunt- 
ing and  restlessness;  frequent  lying  down  and  getting  up;  fretful  change  of 
position;  rising  upon  the  haunches;  placing  the  nose  upon  the  feet.... 113 

DISEASES  OF  THE  GLANDS  AND  NASAL  MEMBRANES. 

(Page  118—163.) 

Blind  Staggers. — Real  or  apparent  blindness,  generally  of  one  eye,  some- 
times of  both;  running  constantly  round  and  round  in  a  circle,  the  circum- 
ference of  which  is  about  sixty  feet;  deafness;  occasional  fits  of  staggering, 
pitching,  and  reeling,  lasting  from  twenty  minutes  to  an  hour,  spasms  increas- 
ing in  frequency  and  violence;  rearing,  plunging,  groaning,  convulsions,  and 
mad  plunges  of  indescribable  violence .• 118 

Glanders. — Running  of  the  nostrils,  usually  beginning  with  the  left;  the 
secretion  aqueous  and  somewhat  sticky,  increasing  in  quantity  and  stickiness 
with  the  progress  of  the  disease,  and  growing  yellowish  white  instead  of  trans- 
parent; long,  stringy  clots  hanging  and  dripping  from  the  nose;  nasal  mem- 
brane pallid  or  of  a  leaden  hue;  ulcers  form  in  the  nostrils;  secretions  become 
darker,  and  are  flecked  with  blood;  loss  of  flesh  and  hair;  cough,  diflficult 
breathing,  tenderness  about  the  forehead;  tumors,  first  about  the  head  and 
face,  and  then  over  the  body  generally 129 

Farcy. — Similar  to  last  stages  of  glanders,  above  described.  Ulcers  on  the 
skin,  discharging  a  fluid,  at  first  watery  and  yellow,  afteward  purulent,  bloody^ 
and  very  oflFensive.  These  ulcers  first  appear  upon  the  legs,  neck,  and  shoul- 
ders, and  often  extend  till  they  cover  the  entire  body... 152 

Distemper. — Dry,  hacking  cough;  running  of  the  nose,  the  discharge  being 
first  watery,  afterward  thick,  purulent,  and  whitish  in  color;  swelling  under 
the  throat;  abscess  often  formed  in  the  throat;  high  fever;  hard  pulse;  loss 
of  appetite  and  flesh;  occasional  abscess  on  the  belly,  near  the  sheath 158 

Nasal  Gleet 162  ^ 

DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE. 

(Page  164—183.) 
Weak  Eyes ^. 169 

Sore  Eyelids 174 

39 


594  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

MOON-ETES 176 

Cataract 177 

Glass  Etbs 178 

! 

Hooks 178 

DISEASES  OF  THE  MUSCLES  AND  TENDONS. 

(Page  184—216.) 

Fistula. — Swelling  of  the  serratus  major,  forming  an  abscess ;  blood,  thick 
and  black;  pulse,  very  full;  sometimes  caries  of  cartilages  and  sinking  of  the 
tissues 184 

Poll  Evil 190 

Boo  AND  Blood  SpIvin. — Puffy  swelling  under  the  skin,  and  cellular  tissue 
of  the  hock-joint 192 

Wikd-oalls. — Puffy  swelling  below  the  knee  and  hock  and  on  the  ankle.  194 

Curb. — Enlargement  on  back  of  leg 197 

Thorouuh-pin. — A  watery  enlargement  on  the  back  of  the  hock-joint, 
inside  the  o$  ealeis 197 

Tetanus,  or  Lock-jaw. — Rigidity  of  muscles;  stiffness  of  joints;  protrusion 
of  muzile;  immobility  of  ears;  dilatation  of  nostrils,  with  little  or  no  play  ; 
ey6  withdrawn  deeply  in  socket;  haggard,  horror-struck  expression  of  coun- 
tenance; tucking  up  of  belly;  straddling  posture  of  legs;  and  jaws  firmly 
closed , 198 

Crakps. — Twitching  of  muscles  of  the  legs,  etc...' 205 

Rheumatism. — Inflammation  of  tendons  and  joints,  especially  of  the  hips  and 
shoulders.. 206 

Spasks — Of  the  muscles — Violent  contraction  of  muscles,  causing  sudden 

jerks 211 

do.        Of  the  neryes — Agitation,   trembling,  and  a  wild  and  frightened 
look 211 

Strino-halt,  or  Spring-halt. — Whenever  the  horse  lifts  his  legs,  it  is  caught 
op  much  higher  than  usual,  with  a  sudden,  spasmodic  jerk 212 


TABLE  OF  SYMPTOMS.  595 

DISEASES  OP  THE  SKIN  AND  EARS. 

(Page  216—245.) 

ScEATCHES. — Thick,  dry,  scabby  covering  of  the  skin,  coming  in  little  patches 
on  the  heel,  which  spread  until  they  become  one  solid  mass  of  scab  and  mat- 
ted hair;  itching  of  the  parts 216 

Thrush. — Discharge  of  very  oflFensive  matter  from  frog  and  heel 218 

Cracked  Heel,  or  Grease.— Symptoms  like  those  of  Thrush,  but  confined 
to  the  heel 219 

Swelled  Legs. — Inflammation  of  cellular  tissue  of  legs,  causing  swelling; 
pufl&ng  out  of  the  skin;  lameness;  stiffness  of  the  joints;  after  a  time  cracks 
appear,  from  which  exudes  a  whitish-yellow,  watery  matter 223 

Swelled  Ankles. — Swelling  of  ankle-joints 226 

Surfeit. — ^Pustules  on  the  skin,  from  the  top  of  which  exudes  a  thin,  whit- 
ish, oily  matter,  forming  scabs  on  the  shoulders,  neck,  sides,  and  back  part  of 
fore-leg 228 

Mange. — Falling  off  of  the  hair;  skin  dirty  brown,  loose,  and  flabby;  scabby 
eruptions  on  skin;  peeling  off  of  cuticle,  leaving  the  parts  beneath  raw  and 
bleeding;  burning  and  itching 229 

Hidebound 233 

Stiff  Complaint. — Skin  dry  and  contracted;  joints  stiff;  muscles  and  ten- 
dons of  legs  become  stiff,  and  fairly  seem  to  contract 234 

Warts. — Seed  warts  are  small  tumors  on  the  eyelids,  the  nose,  the  sheath, 
and  adjoining  portions  of  the  belly,  having  little  hard  points,  or  grains.  Blood 
warts  are  spongy  tumors,  from  which  blood  exudes  on  every  slight  irritation, 
usually  on  hock  and  knee-joints,  and  the  pasterns.  They  have  great  tendency 
to  spread;  sometimes  are  very  sore,  raw,  and  bleeding 236 

Sorb  Nose 239 

Saddle  Galls. — Back  of  horse  chafed  and  raw.  Sometimes  tumors  form, 
which  discharge  matter 240 


596  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Sore  Ears, — Scabby  or  mangy  eruptions  on  the  tips  of  the  ears,  which  spread 
downward 243 

DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND  NERVOUS  SYSTEM. 
(Page  246—259.) 
Water  on  the  Brain 246 

Apoplexy. — Giddiness  and  wildness  of  motion,  and  a  staggering  gait;  profuse 
sweating;  trembling,  especially  of  the  knees;  a  wild  and  wistful  look;  twitching 
of  the  skin  and  jerking  of  the  ears 247 

Babies  (Htdrophobia,  or  Madness) 252 

Fits,  or  Epilepsy.— A  wild,  fierce  look;  rearing  and  pitching;  nervous 
twitching  and  convulsions... 253 

Phrenitis,  or  Inflammation  of  thn  Brain. — Patient  drowsy,  stupid;  his 
eye  closes ;  he  sleeps  while  in  the  act  of  eating,  and  dozes  until  he  falls ;  pulse, 
slow;  breathing,  laborious 253 

Palsy. — Hips  and  thighs  partially  or  entirely  paralyzed 256 

Insanity. — A  stupid  manner;  wandering  expression  of  countenance;  uncon- 
trollable alarm  at  sudden  noises,  colors,  etc 257 


DISEASES  OF  THE  TEETH  AND  MOUTH. 

(Page  260  -276.) 

Teething,    or    Dentition. — Indicated    by   feverishness    of   the    gums   and 

mouth 262 

* 
Shedding. — Attended  by  soreness  and  inflammation  of  the  mouth,  and  loss  of 

appetite 263 

Decay  of  Teeth. — Toothache,  indicated  by  the  sudden  dropping  of  the  corn 
from  the  horse's  mouth.  Stump-sucking,  crib-biting,  and  wind-sucking  may  be 
referred  to  this  cause 266 

Scurvy  of  the  Teeth.— Front  teeth  covered  with  ridges  of  white  scurf,  which 
inflame  the  jaws 268 

Stump-sucking,  Crib-biting,  and  Wind-suckinq 270 


TABLE  OF  SYMPTOMS.  597 


» 


Lampas.— Swelling  of  muscles  of  front  part  of  the  mouth;  the  muscle  next  to 
the  front  teeth  swells  until  it  extends  below  them,  and  is  very  sore.  Lampas 
usually  accompanies  teething 274 

DISEASES  OF  THE  THROAT. 
(Page  277—294.) 
Colds 277 

Enlarged  Glands 282 

t   Swelled  Throat 282 

Laryngitis. — Violent  coughing,  attended  by  gurgling;  breathing,  short  and 
quick ;  membrane  of  nose  red ;  horse  shrinks  when  the  larynx  is  pressed  upon ; 
paroxysms  of  coughing  become  more  frequent;  head  projected;  neck  stiffened; 
considerable  swelling  in  throat,  and  difficulty  of  swallowing ;  -as  inflammation 
increases,  the  cough  becomes  hoarse  and  feeble 283 

Cough '. 285 

Malignant  Epidemic. — Inflammation  of  mucous  membranes  of  respiratory 
organs ;  diarrhea ;  acute  fever,  followed  by  great  prostration ;  loss  of  appetite ; 
staring  coat;  wandering  look;  staggering;  continual  lying  down  and  rising 
again ;  gazing  alternately  at  each  flank ;  twitching  of  the  skin,  and  spasm^  of 
limbs 285 

Difficulty  of  Breathing * 290 

Broken  Wind,  Bellows,  or  Heaves 291 

I    Thick  Wind,  Wheezing,  etc 293 

Roaring 293 

V    ,   DISEASES  OF  THE  CHEST  AND  LUNGS. 

(Page  295—306.) 

Bronchitis. — Swelled  throat;  increased  rapidity  of  breathing;  cough;  dis- 
charge of  a  purulent  mucous  character,  with  clots  of  blood  and  plugs  of  matter 
from  the  nose;  patient  remains  standing  and  motionless ;  breath,  hot ;  pulse, 
full  and  rapid,  beating  60  or  70  times  a  minute ;  membrane  of  nose,  deep  red ; 
dry,  rattling  sound  heard  in  throat  and  chest 296 


9 


598  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK.    ' 

Pnedmonia,  or  Inflammation  of  the  Lungs — Begins  with  a  chill,  succeeded 
by  a  fever;  this  repeated  several  times;,  extremities,  always  cold;  breathing, 
hurried  and  distressed;  pulse,  quick;  mouth  and  breath,  very  hot;  painful 
cough;  fore  feet,  wide  apart;  grinding  of  the  teeth;  weakness;  staggering; 
struggling;  groaning k 298 

Consumption. — Pulse,  feeble;  nose,  ears,  legs,  and  skin  cold  and  clammy; 
membranes  of  nose  of  an  ashy  color;  breath,  hot  and  very  offensive;  painful 
cough;  discharge  from  nose  of  a  purulent  matter,  mixed  with  blood 301 

Pleurisy. — Inspiration,  short  and  painful;  expiration,  little  or  no  faster  than 
in  health;  respiration,  40  or  50  per  minute;  pulse,  accelerated,  strong,  and 
wiry;  legs,  drawn  together;  head,  protruded f. 806 

DISEASES  OF  THE  STOMACH  AND  BOWELS. 
'^                                                (Page  307— 327.) 
Sour  Stomach 809 

Colic  in  the  Stomach 310 

The  Bot :■ 312 

Tnflammation  of  the  Bowels  (Enteritis.) — Spasms  of  suffering;  profuse 
sweating,  especially  about  the  shoulders,  sides,  neck,  and  head;  shaking  and 
trembling;  convulsive  Iwitching  of  the  muscles  of  the  body;  pawing  and 
stretching ;  throwing  the  head  around  to  the  side ;  the  horse  lies  down,  endeav- 
oring to  roll  on  to  his  back,  and  strikes  his  fore-legs  against  his  chest,  and  sud- 
denly springs  up  again;  throwing  back  his  ears,  he  swiftly  starts  off,  turns 
round  two  or  three  times,  and  falls  to  the  ground;  switches  and  jerks  his  tail; 
lips  and  ears,  cold;  pulse,  from  65  to  80 316 

Flatulent  Colic 323 

Inflammation  and  Rupture  of  the  Colon. — Sides  and  flanks  puffed  out; 
high  fever;  intense  suffering 326 

Inilammation  and  Bleeding  of  the  Rectum »...., 326 

Soreness  and  Itching  of  the  Anus 326 


• 


TABLE  or  SYMPTOMS.  599 

♦ 
DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER  AND  URINARY  ORGANS. 
(Page  328—352.) 

Jaundice,  or  Yellows. — Yellowness  of  eyes,  mouth,  and  skin ;  dung  passes 
in  small  and  dark-colored  balls ;  urine,  highly  colored;  patient  languid;  wanting 
in  appetite;  at  times  dull  and  stupid;  lameness  in  right  fore-leg 330 

Enlargement  of  the  Spleen 331 

Nephritis,  or  Inflammation  of  the  Kidneys. — Feverishness ;  patient  fre-  ,  « 
quently  looks  round  at  his  flanks;  stands  with  legs  wide  apart;  is  unwilling  to 
lie  down ;  straddles  as  he  walks ;  expresses  pain  in  turning ;  shrinks  when  the 
loins  are  touched;  urine  voided  in  small  quantities,  and  with  great  diflBculty; 
its  color  dark  and  bloody;  pulse,  quick  and  hard  at  first;  afterward  slow,  but 
still  hard 332 

Diabetes 334 

Bloody  Urine 335 

Thick  Urine 335 

White  Urine 336 

Gravel,  or  Stone  in  the  Bladder. — Symptoms  similar  to  those  of  colic; 
difficulty  of  urinating,  accompanied  by  groans;  urine  dark  and  hot;  patient 
perspires  profusely,  especially  in  tha  region  of  the  flanks  and  loins 337 

Suppression  of  Urine , 339 

Inflammation  of  the  Bladder 340 

Foul  Sheath 341 

Colt  Founder  .t 343 

4 

Diseases  op  young  Colts..... 349 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HEART  AND  BLOOD. 

(Page  353—382.)  f 

Diseases  of  the  Heart ^^^ 

Thumps. — Violent  throbbing  of  the  ^art...... 355      ^ 


• 


•   •  .  • 


#' 


600  AMERICAN  FARMER'S  HORSE  BOOK. 

Fever. — ^Patient  is  dull,  unwilling  to  move;  has  a  staring  coat;  cold  legs  and 
feet.  This  is  succeeded  by  warmth  of  body ;  unequal  distribution  of  warmth  to 
the  legs;  one  hot,  and  the  other  three  cold;  or  one  or  more  unnaturally  warm, 
and  the  others  unusually  cold;  pulse,  quick,  soft,  often  indistinct;  breathing, 
somewhat  laborious;  patient  without  appetite,  and  very  costive 369 

Thick  Blood 364 

Thin  Blood 365 


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